Azumanga Hina
by Brandon Payne
Summary: An Azumanga Daioh Love Hina crossover.
1. Bid You Greetings

**Note:**

**This is not an original crossover. Search for, Hinata Gone Wild, in the Fanfiction search engine.**

**Although Mutsumi and Haruka have their own respective places of residence in both the manga and anime; in this version, they live in the Hinata Sou.**

* * *

A taxi van drives away, leaving six familiar girls standing side-by-side with their luggage as they stare up at the Hinata Sou All-Girl's Dormitory.

"I simply cannot believe the luck of this happening," Chiyo-chan stated with amazement. "What're the odds of all of us being together like this again after high school!? Such as my being unable to get into any American collage and having to attend one near here instead!?"

"Or how about all of us just happening to pick this place to stay at!" Tomo added with bewilderment.

"And going to collage within this distance!?" Kagura exclaimed.

"This has been the strangest turn of events," Sakaki added in her reserved manner as she takes a moment to stroke Maya who is nestled across her shoulders and underneath her hair.

"Perhaps God wants to keep us together for a while longer," Osaka said absent-mindedly.

"That's about the only thing that actually makes sense," Yomi said wryly. "But I wonder if the people in there prepared for us?"

"Hey!" A loud cheerful voice called from up on the second floor just above the porch. They look up to see a dark-skinned yet toe-headed girl waving down at them from a balcony.

"Whoa, it's a foreigner!" Kagura gasped apprehensively.

"She's even darker than you, Kagura!" Tomo mused.

"I bet she could turn invisible in the dark if she stripped naked," Osaka droned absent-mindedly. "But then her hair will still be seen."

Kaolla leaps down onto the porch roof and finally onto the ground with incredible ease before the Azugirls, then begins to quickly inspect each of them more closely. The Azugirls become a little bewildered by her unusual friendliness.

"So you're the new girls coming to live with us," Kaolla chirped happily as she continues with her inspection. "Ooh, new friends! New friends!" Her tone now softer, but in a higher and more excited pitch as her green eyes are now wide with delight.

Tomo laughs as she ruffles Kaolla's hair. "I like this girl already!"

"No surprise there," Yomi said dryly with a whimsically hopeless expression, before leaning down to Chiyo-chan. "Just what we need, another Tomo."

"Hello there kittie," Kaolla cooed as she reaches up and scratches Maya's cheek. Sakaki grins and blushes over Kaolla's cuteness.

"Now, now, Kaolla, don't go scaring our new tenants like that," a man is heard saying, causing the Azugirls to now stare at a man coming down the steps, followed closely by several ladies.

"I thought this is an all-girl's dorm?" Chiyo-chan said curiously.

"Ah, yes that is true," he answered cordially with a bow. "But permit me to introduce myself. My name is Urashima Keitaro and I am the manager of Hinata Sou."

"Someone must be considering himself very lucky," Tomo snickered musically to Yomi with a mischievous expression.

Keitaro raises an eyebrow over her comment, then ignores it. "Anyway, one of our residents is busy at the moment but should be out very soon. Narusegawa, can you go see if-"

"Hey!" Sarah yelled while hurrying out the door, then down the stairs. "Sorry I took so long!"

"Waa, another little foreign girl! She's so cute!" Tomo clamored with a wild-eyed expression while pointing ardently at Sarah.

"Damn, she's probably cuter than Chiyo-chan!" Kagura gasped.

"And with more developed pigtails too!" Osaka gasped with her usual spaced-out bewildered expression. "Hers must be the master pigtails!"

Sakaki blushes more profusely over the sight of Sarah, who now stands before the Azugirls and introduces herself.

"Wow, you speak good Japanese, Sarah-chan!" Chiyo-chan squeaked. "Are you an American!?"

"Yes."

That is when Chiyo-chan and Sarah start conversing in English, making the others stare.

"Could we please continue this conversation in Japanese?" Kitsune said.

"Are you a genius like Chiyo-chan too!?" Tomo exclaimed. "Chiyo's thirteen but she skipped five grades to enroll in our high school back in grade ten when she was only ten!"

"No, I'm not a genius and I'm nine," Sarah answered.

"I'm a genius and I'm fourteen!" Kaolla exclaimed.

"Great, a Tomo with Chiyo-chan's brain," Yomi said wearily as her eyes become as dots and lines while gazing upward.

"You're only thirteen!?" Kitsune exclaimed as she looks more closely at Chiyo-chan. "Geez, you look like you're Sarah's age!"

"I know," Chiyo-chan said dejectedly. "I was always the smallest in my classes, even back in elementary school."

"Be that as it may," Keitaro said. "Why don't you all introduce yourselves? Then the rest will introduce themselves to you."

One-by-one, each of the Azugirls step forward to do so, complete with a respectful bow. Then it's the Hinata gang's turn, with Kaolla up first.

"Waa, you're a princess!? Coooool!" Tomo exclaimed with a bewildered expression.

"You're certainly not like any princess I've envisioned!" Kagura said with amazement.

"I've never heard of Molmol," Yomi said quizzically with a crooked eyebrow.

"I have," Chiyo-chan answered. "It's in the Indian Ocean."

"Do you know where in the Indian Ocean?" Kagura quizzed.

Chiyo-chan ponders that question for a couple of seconds while pressing her finger against her jaw.

"I'm not sure of its exact location," she finally answered with uncertainty.

The introductions pick up once again, with Mutsumi up next. But as she is introducing herself, followed by the customary bow, she suddenly keels forward onto the ground, causing the Azugirls to gape with concern.

"Ah! Is Mutsumi-chan all right!?" Chiyo-chan clamored as she throws her arms out.

"Don't worry, she does that a lot," Keitaro answered assuredly. "She should wake up any moment now."

No sooner had he finished saying that when Mutsumi does so.

"Oh, oh, I did it again," she said softly as she presses her hand against her forehead, then stands.

Kitsune is the next one to introduce herself.

"You're from Osaka, aren't you!?" Tomo asked her ardently as she points at her.

"Er, yes I am."

"I knew it," Tomo proclaimed as she raises her fists in the air. "So," in a more casual manner before pointing to her fellow bonkler, "are you related to Osaka?"

"I've never met her before in my life," Kitsune answered dryly with a crook of her eyebrow.

"But does that still make me your long lost mother?" Osaka asked with blank bewilderment and a look to match, then clutches her own head and tilts it downward as her eyes become swirls. "So I had a baby when I was a baby!? Then who's the father!?" Her bewilderment increasing until she finally raises her head with close-eyed grief. "Oh no, I was-!"

"No, you moron!" Yomi quickly interjected as her glasses frost over. "She means she's from the same city you came from!"

"Oh," Osaka droned in a suddenly calm manner.

The Hinata gang develop multiple sweat drops, along with Kitsune's eyes being wide open, before the introductions continue, with Motoko up next. Osaka walks up to Motoko while staring up at her with that vacant open-mouthed expression. Motoko frowns slightly with a hint of curiosity.

"Ahhh," Osaka droned absently, then looks to Sakaki. "We've finally met a girl as tall as you, Sakaki. And who even sounds a lot like you too. Although you're more built than her."

Sakaki blushes then stares at Motoko, who stares back at her impassively.

Haruka is next.

"Hey, Sakaki," she then drawled afterwards as she removes her cigarette. "You probably don't remember me, but my family used to be your next door neighbors up until you were five. I used to babysit you sometimes."

"I didn't think you were that old, aunty," Keitaro quipped. Then is instantly felled by a punch to the jaw from Haruka as she makes a close-eyed frown without changing her position.

The Azugirls blink in surprise over the sudden violence that had happened before they get over the shock.

"I-I do have vague memories of an older girl being my next door neighbor," Sakaki then said. "That was you, Haruka-san? Then it is good to meet you again."

"You look just like your father," Haruka mused with a crook of her mouth, "yet you have your mother's hair and eyes."

Sakaki blushes as she makes that shy smile of hers.

"You even smile like her too. Still the shy soft-spoken girl I remembered."

Sakaki continues to blush and smile shyly before the rest introduce themselves without garnering any further comments, thus finishing the introductions.

"Hurray! Hurray! New friends! New friends!" Kaolla shouted euphorically while jumping around before latching onto Tomo and Osaka.

"Yeah, new friends!" Sarah exclaimed as she also hugs Tomo. Tomo, Kaolla, and Sarah break out in laughter in the same tone and pose, while Osaka seems to be off in her own little world once again.

Yomi sweat drops, along with Chiyo-chan and Sakaki.

"Whoever thought that there could be two other girls out there in the world just like Tomo?" Chiyo-chan whispered with a forced closed-eyed smile.

"My worst nightmare has finally come true," Yomi said hopelessly with a closed-eyed frown.

"Hey, don't forget me," Kagura announced as she dashes over and puts her arm around Osaka's shoulders, then laughs with them.

"Please," Yomi moaned as she lowers her head, clasping it while still making that closed-eyed frown, "let a lightening bolt strike me down."

The other Hinata residents watch with amused expressions.

"You girls must be eager to get settled away," Keitaro then said while taking a step forward. "Let us help you with your-whoa!"

As he steps onto a loose rock and falls forward, directly upon Sakaki as she quickly catches him on a reflex. His face ends up being buried within her impressive cleavage, causing Sakaki to blush intensely with an astonished gape.

"What the hell are you doing!" Naru yelled as she grabs one of his ears and turns him around. She punches him, sending him skidding across the yard and carving a trail in the earth.

The Azugirls look on in stunned disbelief at what they had just witnessed.

"Holy moly!" Kagura exclaimed while pointing. "Did you see how far he went!?"

"That's nothing," Sarah waved. "Naru sends him flying into orbit sometimes."

"Damn, she's got your temper, Yomi!" Tomo exclaimed.

"I don't get that angry," Yomi growled.

"Oh no, all I have to do is make fun of how fat you are and you explode," Tomo taunted, causing Yomi to scowl as her glasses frost over and a vein pops out on her forehead. "Or how about the Crying Diet Girl le-?"

"Shut it!" As Yomi spins and decks Tomo, knocking her down.

The Hinata residents blink impassively at what had happened. Nothing unusual to them since Keitaro frequently gets clobbered by either Naru or Motoko. Yet it's still odd to them because these girls are still strangers.

"Do you work out a lot!?" Kagura asked Naru eagerly as she walks up to her.

"Uh, no," Naru said in her instantly sweet manner. "I guess it just comes naturally."

"Kind of like Sakaki then," Kagura points at her, causing Sakaki to blush. "She's a natural athlete, yet she cares nothing for sports and was still able to beat me at our first Sports Day event back in high school."

"Ah, sorry about that," Keitaro said as he is now alongside Sakaki while brushing himself off before taking a step forward. "Now let's get you settled awaaaaay!"

As he trips over a piece of luggage this time and falls directly on top of Chiyo-chan, knocking her to the ground as she squeals. They are now on the ground together in an extremely suggestive position.

"With an underaged girl in public you just met!?" Naru shouted while shaking with outrage.

"Naru, wait!" Keitaro screeched as he tries to get back up.

"Spare me your excuses!" As Naru executes a sidekick to his head, making him fly across the courtyard into a stonewall.

Once again the Azugirls watches the whole scenario with bewilderment.

"Holy shit!" Tomo exclaimed with a bewildered expression before turning to Naru. "Remind me not to piss you off!"

The Azugirls have their belongings taken inside with them. Once there, Tama the flying turtle perches upon Mutsumi's shoulder.

"Whoa, a flying turtle!" Tomo exclaimed.

"H-How does he do that!" Chiyo-chan exclaimed.

"Nobody knows," Mutsumi said.

Tama then takes off once again and flies toward Sakaki as he repeatedly myus. She blushes with a bewildered look and gasps slightly. Tama hovers in front of Maya, who in turn regards him with his trademarked lazy expression and paws him.

Mutsumi walks up to Sakaki and stares intently at Maya.

"Oh, Oh it's an Iriomote Mountain Cat," she then said matter-of-factly as she points at him while touching her own face.

The Hinata gang gasps.

"What!?" Kitsune gasped with her eyes now wide open.

"Are you serious!?" Naru gasped.

"They're endangered!" Shinobu gasped.

"H-How did you know that?" Sakaki asked Mutsumi uneasily. She knows that with more people discovering Maya's identity, there is a strong chance that the wrong people might find out.

"Oh, I lived in Okinawa."

"We went there on our grade twelve field trip!" Tomo exclaimed. That is when she starts singing, Okinawa, along with Kagura, off-key.

"Shut the Hell up!" Yomi bellowed at them.

"Excuse me," Keitaro announced as he now stands next to Chiyo-chan, who blinks in surprise over how quickly he recovered and got here, "I hate to break up this boisterous moment, but we have to get the rooming issue aside right now. There's only one vacant room left. Yet there are six of you. So only two of you will get it while the other four will each be sharing quarters with one of the other residents here. Except with me of course, for obvious reason."

Osaka then hums with vacant curiosity. "What reason is that?"

"He's male and we're all female," Chiyo-chan answered with a forced polite close-eyed smile as a sweat drop appears on her head.

"That girl must have air for brains," Sarah quipped up at Motoko with a sarcastic expression.

"That room's a no-brainer, Keitaro-san, we'll take it!" Tomo proclaimed as she hooks her arm around Yomi's neck.

"Tomo, you're the no-brainer," Yomi growled as her glasses frost over. "There's no way I'd share a room with you."

"I take it she's troublesome," Haruka drawled rhetorically after having seen a bout of their disagreement outside.

"You have no idea," Yomi sighed as her eyes turn into large dots and lines as she looks upward.

"Well, we do have Kaolla and Sarah," Keitaro quipped as he thumbs at them. "So compared to either of them, how much trouble could Tomo-chan really be?"

Sarah then smashes an artifact over his head, causing the Azugirls to gape once again. Keitaro quickly recovers as he rubs his head.

"The easiest way to settle who gets the vacant room," he said, "is with a lottery."

"I am quite willing to share a room with one of your friends, Keitaro-san," Yomi said firmly with closed eyes as she folds her arms.

"What about the times back at Chiyo-chan's Summer House," Tomo said with a hurtful look and tone as she clutches Yomi's shoulder.

"Need I remind you that only Yukari and Nyamo each got their own rooms, while the rest of us shared that one room together?" Yomi said flatly. "Besides, nobody wanted you for a bedmate after the first time there since you tend to toss and turn a lot."

Sakaki remembers that one. She woke up that morning to find Tomo's hand across her chest just above her breasts and notices Yomi standing there with a camera and a big goofy grin, exclaiming that she had gotten the picture.

"Well if you're going to abstain then so am I," Tomo pouted as she too crosses her arms.

"You do that," Yomi said with close-eyed sarcastic approval as she adjusts her glasses. "Hopefully Keitaro-san will put you in with someone who can keep you under control."

"Fine then," Keitaro sighed. "The other four will put their names on a piece of paper."

He got a notepad and pen, then tore out four pieces of blank paper. Kagura, Sakaki, Chiyo-chan, and Osaka each wrote their names onto their respective pieces and put them into a box that Keitaro brought out.

"The two names that I draw will be the ones to get the room," Keitaro said as he holds the box. "The results are final so that means no second chances. Yomi-chan, Tomo-chan, this is your last chance to change your minds."

He pauses for a couple of seconds, but they remain silent.

"So be it," he said. "The first name I read seals the decision."

He shakes the box briskly a few times before stopping to place it down on the table, then carefully reaches inside without looking. He clasps hold of the first piece and pulls it out to unfold and read aloud.

"Kagura-chan."

"Yes!" Kagura exclaimed gleefully with a closed-eyed smile as she pumps her fist into the air.

Keitaro reaches back inside for another piece of paper and pulls it out to also read aloud.

"Chiyo-chan."

"Wow, we're gonna be roommates, Kagura!" Chiyo-chan squeaked as they clasp hands.

"Now that the issue of the room is settled," Keitaro said as he readjusts his glasses, "next on the agenda is to figure out who to pair each of you other four up with."

"Another lottery?" Tomo asked.

"No, Tomo-chan, a lottery simply won't do," Keitaro answered with a shake of his head. He knows that even though any of the new girls can become friends with his friends, it's different when pairing them with a stranger. Moreover, a roommate is someone that a person sleeps in the same room with. One's best friend might not make an ideal roommate because of the mutually high level of comfort. Such a level of comfort might encourage countless forms of mischief, preventing either from getting anything done, including sleep.

"It'll be all about figuring out your personalities," he further added, "so that you can be matched with a roommate who complements you. So I'll start with you first."

* * *

**Note: Sakaki and Motoko's voice were both done by the same seiyu, Yu Asakawa.**


	2. Getting Settled

Keitaro glances back and forth between Tomo and his friends. He at least now has a grasp on her personality. For an instance, he fancies putting her in with either Kaolla or Sarah as either is so much like her. Then just as quickly banishes it, as they will only end up feeding the other's vibe so to speak and encouraging those countless forms of mischief.

Now Kitsune may be more level-headed, yet she still has those same traits that Tomo can feed from; which in turn can encourage Kitsune even more. The end result is that Tomo might become an alcoholic as she and Kitsune may very well hold drinking sessions well into the night.

Shinobu and Mutsumi are also quickly dismissed for pairing up with Tomo, because the first is too timid and the latter too easy-going.

Keitaro then thought that maybe Tomo can be best dealt with by either Haruka or Motoko, because either of them are more than capable of handling her, especially Haruka. Ironically, he dismisses them both because they can end up becoming too repressive with Tomo.

It really all comes down to putting Tomo in with someone who is firm, yet not repressive. Once again irony comes into play as only one of the girls seem to fit that description. The only one left actually.

"Tomo-chan," Keitaro finally announced, "you'll be sharing quarters with Narusegawa."

Tomo and Naru look to either other. Naru has a relaxed expression while Tomo gulps nervously after witnessing what Naru is capable of.

"Okay, now for Yomi-chan," Keitaro said as he glances between her and his friends.

After seeing her actions, he deduces that Yomi is normally the level-headed mature type; however, she does have a short-fuse with anyone who taunts her. While not as violent as Naru, she is close enough. She also seems to be the tightly-wound type due to hanging around Tomo. Definitely she has to be put in with someone who will respect her, and even help her unwind. But who?

Once again, he dismisses Kaolla and Sarah because either of them are like Tomo. Motoko or Haruka will definitely respect her, but they are not people that anyone can warm up to right away; as both have that frosty no-nonsense exterior. No, Yomi is better off being roomed with someone who will not only respect her, but should make her feel at ease from the get go.

Kitsune is a moderate version of Tomo, so she will not be hurtful. But she does have her vices and Keitaro doesn't want Yomi picking them up from her. Worse, Kitsune is the kind of person whose only too willing to help others loosen up, and if that means plying them with alcohol then so be it. This might create a danger of Yomi becoming an alcoholic, due to her finding an escape from her tightly-wound personality.

Mutsumi, being soft-spoken and gentle, will definitely put Yomi at ease. And at the same time, Yomi can also watch out for her if she should ever have her fainting spells, or prevent her from getting lost for that matter. Yet Mutsumi is still a little too eccentric for someone like Yomi. Being an airhead means that she can end up saying things that might unintentionally annoy Yomi. Moreover, Mutsumi seems to be sexually ambiguous as she was just as quick to kiss Naru as she had him. There is a strong possibility that Yomi might end up getting "accidentally" smooched, or even fondled, by Mutsumi.

The proper roommate for Yomi has to be a regular sweetheart of a girl to keep Yomi at ease, and who in turn can be put at ease by Yomi.

"You'll be sharing quarters with Shinobu, Yomi-chan," Keitaro replied.

Yomi stares at Shinobu, who stares back if somewhat ill-at-ease. Yomi smiles at her and Shinobu feels relaxed as she smiles back.

"Now for you, Sakaki-chan," Keitaro said.

Sakaki reminds him of Motoko, except with a greater softness and serenity about her demeanor (that and she also seems cooler than Motoko). Moreover, he had seen her reactions toward Kaolla and Sarah. Then there is her cat, who is still a kitten, and an idea comes to him.

"Sakaki-chan," he said, "imagine a kitten wrapped up in a ball of yarn, looking as if they were trying to show that they're innocent."

No sooner had he finished saying that when she blushes while trying to suppress a smile with her hand as she shivers and her eyes disappear under her bangs. Keitaro now knows that his task suddenly got so much easier. He can see that she is a lot more like a little girl inside than her outside shows.

Motoko and Haruka are once again eliminated from the list of potentials because they cannot be readily described as cute, especially Haruka. More to the point, they might unintentionally make Sakaki feel as if she may need to be on her guard against any potential confrontation with them (never mind that Haruka had babysat her when she was a little girl, as it was an entirely different set of circumstances). It's not that Sakaki will be unable to stand up to either of them, it's just that she seems the type who's quicker to avoid a confrontation rather than face one.

Kitsune is eliminated too, seeing the risk of Sakaki picking up her vices. Even if she is able to resist them, she will have to perpetually be on her guard against Kitsune's influence, causing her unwanted stress. Mutsumi again gets ruled out for the same reasons concerning Yomi.

It really all comes down to Sakaki sharing a room with somebody cute, something that fits Kaolla and Sarah well. Even so, their cuteness is warped by their mischievous hyperactive natures. Yet, there is a difference between the two. Kaolla is innocent and childlike, with a heart of gold as she will never intentionally harm anyone. Sarah on the other hand is devious and childish, with a potential mean streak. But it's only out of a deep personal pain that she can't deal with very well. All she really needs is strong but gentle guidance.

"Sarah will be your roommate, Sakaki-chan," Keitaro said.

She looks down at Sarah, who looks quizzically back up at her. Sakaki blushes with a warm smile and a slight gasp. Sarah feels both relieved while at the same time impressed.

"And last of all is you, Osaka-chan," Keitaro said.

From her vacant open-mouthed look and the comments she had made earlier, this makes her an airhead with a capital A. Kaolla will only overwhelm her. Kitsune, Motoko, and Haruka might be put at their wit's end over having to listen to any of Osaka's inane babblings. This is, as Tomo had stated, a no-brainer because there is really only one other person here who won't overwhelm her and can truly tolerate her ramblings, since she herself is an airhead.

"Osaka-chan, your roommate is Mutsumi," Keitaro announced.

The two airheads blink blankly and simultaneously at one another, just as they both hum in matching slow short soft rising high-pitched tones of curiosity.

"Now let's get all of you settled away," Keitaro said with a tone of satisfaction.

"Will it be possible to check out the hot springs?" Yomi asked eagerly.

"Why because you've been to Hokkaido?" Tomo sneered. "She loves getting naked," she whispered deviously to Shinobu as she thumbs at her best friend.

"Ignore her, Shinobu-chan," Yomi said flatly.

Once the Azugirls are shown to their respective rooms and get their things settled away, they are next taken to the hot springs where they undress.

"Whoa, there are two more American's among us!" Osaka gasped as she stares back and forth from Mutsumi to Kitsune's breasts. "Sakaki, you have competition!"

Sakaki's reaction is typical: blush intensely while sucking in her chest as she crosses her arms in the effort to make her breasts look smaller.

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked her.

"Here in Japan," Yomi answered, "there are generally three breast types: American, Hawaiian, and Japanese. Americans are the largest, Japanese the smallest, and Hawaiians in the middle."

"That sounds pretty lame," Sarah sneered with her eyes now blue dots and lines. "Wouldn't it be better to call them large, medium, or small? Not all American women have large breasts you know. Hawaii is a part of America. And most Japanese women I've ever seen have small breasts, yet look the right size for their heights."

"It's just a name," Kagura said as she waved. "Nobody really takes it seriously."

_Speak for yourself_, Sakaki thought as she tries to suppress her embarrassment.

They all get into the hot springs.

"Ah, this is wonderful!" Tomo sighed. "Just like the hot springs in Hokkaido."

"Don't brag about places you've never been to," Yomi rebuked, who had to leave her glasses behind.

"It seems a little more crowded now," Naru giggled.

"Ahhhhh," Osaka sighed in her usual vacant manner with a vacant close-eyed happy face. "It feels so relaxing." Then she yawns.

"Whoa! That was a beautiful yawn!" Tomo exclaimed as she points at her. "I intend to beat you at the yawn!" Then attempts her own.

"Enough of your nonsense," Yomi said curtly as she raps her on the head with her knuckles.

Osaka continues sitting there with that vacant close-eyed happy face with a sigh to match.

"I feel like I'm melting," she then drawled as she begins to slowly submerge into the water until she completely submerges. Sakaki quickly reaches in and pulls her upright, splashing water in the process.

"Osaka, don't get too relaxed or you might drown!" Chiyo-chan squeaked as she waves her arms around.

"You mean like Mutsumi-chan over there?" Osaka pointed to her roommate who now floats face down in the water. Kagura and Kitsune quickly pull her upright as they also splash water in doing so. Mutsumi is silent for a moment with that absent expression of hers.

"Oh, oh, I did it again," she then said in her soft airy manner as she touches her own forehead.

"Keitaro-san was clearly smart to pair Osaka and Mutsumi-chan together," Kagura said.

"Yomi-chan," Haruka said to her with a small grin despite her usual deadpan tone. "Earlier you spoke of Yukari and Nyamo. How are they?"

"You knew our teachers!?" Tomo exclaimed.

"I sure did. Me, Yukari, Nyamo, and another girl named Eiko were best friends back in high school."

"They're still teaching at our old high school, Kiyohiko Azuma High," Yomi answered.

"Figured those two would be sticking together," Haruka smirked. "Man, they were quite the characters, especially Yukari. There was never a dull moment when she was around. Does she still go on benders?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Yomi grinned with a close-eyed whimsically frown.

Haruka humphs humorously. "Sounds like you've met your match, Kitsune."

"I'll be the judge of that," Kitsune answered as she opens one eye slyly while rubbing her own chin between her thumb and forefinger. "If I ever meet this Yukari-chan, I will challenge her to a drinking contest."

"I'd pay to see that!" Tomo clamored.

"Has her driving ever improved?" Haruka asked Yomi.

The answer to her question comes from Chiyo-chan as she turns white and shivers with a look of terror.

"She drives over the speed limit," she quavered. "Sometimes she takes shortcuts that are not suppose to be taken. She makes the car do things that cars are not suppose to do . . . No Yukari . . . ! Slow down . . . ! Watch out . . . ! Not that way . . . ! That's a cliff . . . ! That pond is too wide . . . ! Grandpa! Grandpa, help!" Shouting the last part.

"Chiyo-chan! Chiyo-chan! Snap out of it!" Kagura yelled as she shakes her.

"This Yukari-chan must be an atrocious driver," Motoko said.

"That's putting it very mildly, Motoko," Haruka said in her dry monotone. Yet her tone bore a hint of chill. "Riding with Tanizaki Yukari is like riding with the Grim Reaper."

There is a moment of silence.

"Hey, Tomo, Kagura, Osaka," Sarah said to them. "This dorm is loaded with secret passageways. Wanna help us see if there are any more later on?"

"Secret passageways!?" Tomo exclaimed with an overawed look as she sits up so eagerly that she splashes water. "This place has secret passageways!?"

"That's what I just said," Sarah said dryly.

"Of course, we'll join you!" Tomo exclaimed.

"Secret passageways!?" Kagura added excitedly. "I'm so there!"

"Will we find any mole people?" Osaka asked in her usual absent-minded reserved excited manner.

"Yes, I got it!" Tomo exclaimed as she pulls Kagura and Osaka close to her on either side. "The bonklers are back, with two new members: Sarah and Kaolla-chan."

"Hurray! Hurray! Bonklers, bonklers!" Kaolla chanted as she jumps up and down, splashing water everywhere, and joining the trio. Next comes Sarah.

"Oh, oh, don't forget me," Mutsumi chimed absently as she is now next to them.

"Yes, another new member: Mutsumi-chan!" Tomo clamored.

All six of them laugh in a choreographed manner, yet with individualized motions as they splash water around. The others looked at them wryly while sweat dropping.

"Wow, it looks like things are going to be a lot more lively around here from now on," Naru said dryly with a forced close-eyed smile.

"Are Tomo and Kagura-chan always like this?" Kitsune asked Chiyo-chan in a whimsical manner.

"This is normal behavior for them, especially with Tomo," Chiyo-chan answered with a forced close-eyed smile.

"I'm going to need help cooking since there are now more people," Shinobu suddenly said as she wanted to change the subject.

"I can help you with that, Shinobu-chan!" Chiyo-chan piped up.

"She's an excellent cook," Yomi stated.

"I can cook too!" Kaolla exclaimed.

"Your cooking is much too spicy," Kitsune said dryly.

"My favorite type of cooking!" Yomi said proudly.

"Hurray! Hurray! Somebody loves my cooking!" Kaolla announced happily as she hugs a bewildered Yomi. Kaolla lingers a little longer with her hug, causing Yomi to grin and blush, before Kaolla begins rubbing her cheeks against Yomi.

"Mmm, you're so soft and squishy, Yomi-chan. You feel like hot jelly."

Tomo howls with laughter while doubling over and clutching her stomach as tears stream out of her eyes.

"You see, Yomi!?" As she points at her with wide eyes and shrunken pupils. "I've always told you about your billowing layers of fat! You even displaced a lot of the water when you got in!"

"Double chop!" Yomi bellowed as she does so to Tomo, then shakes her fist at her. "I'd like to see you give Naru-chan this type of grief!"

"Oh, don't worry, Yomi-chan, she won't give me any grief," Naru said as she makes a closed-eyed smile with an edge of hardness to it. "Right, Tomo-chan?"

Tomo merely blinks blankly with her eyes now as small circles. She figures that she should at least try and convince Keitaro to put her in with one of the other girls. Someone like Kitsune or Kaolla.

Osaka is heard sighing vacantly once again.

"So soft," she sighed as she is now nuzzling the back of Sarah's neck with her hair piled in her hands, much to Sarah's sneer of unease.

Sakaki blushes at the sight then covers her face as her grin grows wider. She bends over and shivers.

"Let me guess," Sarah said whimsically with sarcastic blue dots and lines for her eyes as she kneels closer to her new roommate. "You imagine yourself doing that to me."

Sakaki gives her a dot-eyed vacant expression as she makes a soft brief sigh.

"Is she always this quiet?" Sarah asked Chiyo-chan.

"Sakaki usually only speaks if she has something important to say or ask," Chiyo-chan answered.

"Kind of like me," Tomo said proudly with a close-eyed smile and head tilted upward as she points at her own face with both hands.

"Yeah, right," Yomi scoffed back at her with crossed arms while bearing a frown and beady eyes. "If you could be paid a yen for every worthwhile word you've ever spoken in your entire life, you'd still have no money."

"Then how about worthless words?" Osaka asked.

Yomi blinks at her before her expression becomes a whimsical sneer. She doesn't know what's more annoying about Osaka: her all around airheadedness or those rare moments when she actually makes sense (or even rarer still, those moments when she actually makes even more sense than most people)?

"Then she'd be able to buy her own country by now," Yomi finally answered dryly.

"Cool!" Tomo clamored with a close-eyed smile and a furrowed brow as she raises her arms high before pointing at her own face. "Then I'd buy America! Change its name to Tomoland and be their Empress!"

"Now that's something to think about," Sarah announced sarcastically with a smirk and crook of an eyebrow as she crosses her arms. Her eyes now as blue dots and lines. "After all, in America, everything is for sale."

That is when the sound of the door sliding open gets everyone's attention. In walks Keitaro with a bucket of water and sponge. The Azugirls gasp with shock as their expressions reflect this while trying to hide their selves from the presence of a man.

"Shit! Why isn't there a lock on the door!? Does he just waltz in here like this!?" Tomo began babbling.

"Keitaro!" Naru bellowed as she jumps out of the springs and stalks briskly toward him with a furious expression.

"Narusegawa, me too!" Motoko yelled as she too quickly jumps out, only to take up a stance with her boken at the ready.

"Whoa, it's today you're all takin' a bath!?" Keitaro screamed with a shocked expression. "I swear I didn't know, Narusegawa! I didn't know!"

"Sure you didn't, pervert!" Naru snarled as she grabs him and readies to throw him at Motoko.

"Zangaken-" Motoko began announcing as she tenses to make her move.

Naru takes that as her cue and throws Keitaro at the kendoist.

"Rising Storm!" She bellowed quickly while immediately doing a three-sixty with her boken extended, causing what looks like a whirlwind to appear and have her within it. Keitaro strikes it and shoots straight up like a cannon shell, disappearing into the sky as a blip.

The Azugirls are now gaping upward at the sky with the most intense looks of astonishment ever. All except Osaka who is too intent on chasing the floaters before her eyes as she moves her head around to them.

"I saw it all but I still have a hard time believing it!" Chiyo-chan gasped with bewilderment as she keeps staring up at the sky.

"How does that guy put up with it!?" Tomo hooted as she too keeps staring up at the sky.

"I think he's immortal," Kaolla squeaked happily.

"This is going to be a very interesting stay here at Hinata Sou," Sakaki said while still looking up at the sky.


	3. Mischief and Retribution

They get out afterwards and dry off, then dress as suppertime is soon. Just as Chiyo-chan had stated about her ability to cook, she gives Shinobu a helping hand. It's not long before a pair of cute voices can be heard singing from the kitchen that cooking is so fun.

Meanwhile, the bonklers, plus three new members, are examining the secret passageways. They had first entered them by means of a secret passageway in Sarah's closet. Sakaki had watched them go in and could not help but blush over the idea of how cute it might seem for Sarah and Kaolla to just suddenly pop out of an opening in a wall. Naturally, the original bonklers are in awe over the various tunnels and rooms that they were led to, including the places in the dorm that they come out in.

* * *

Yomi is standing upon a scale while frowning down at it, wearing only her glasses. With Shinobu busy down in the kitchen there is no possibility of her coming back up here. That is when she next hears the sound of wood rattling and scraping and is startled to see a dresser drawer slide open all by itself.

Osaka's head rises very slowly up through the clothing with that closed-eyed open-mouthed vacant smile and sigh to match.

Yomi flinches intensely with a baffled expression as she attempts to cover herself with her arms.

Right alongside Osaka's head, Mutsumi's head rises very slowly with that same expression and sigh.

Yomi's reaction becomes even more intense, causing her to draw inward on herself. Even though she had gotten over her initial shock of seeing that it was Osaka almost from the start, Yomi still finds it to be just so eerie to see her rise up from the drawer like that. And Mutsumi mimicking her next now makes it all the more eerier.

"Hello!" Sarah sang as her head suddenly pops up alongside Mutsumi's, but bearing a mischievous close-eyed wide smile.

"Hello!" Kagura sang on a higher note than Sarah as her head suddenly pops up alongside Sarah's and bearing that same expression.

"Hello!" Kaolla sang on a higher note than Kagura as her head suddenly pops up alongside Kagura's and bearing that same expression.

"Hello!" Tomo sang on a higher note than Kaolla as her head suddenly pops up alongside Kaolla's and bearing that same expression. "You fatassed scale-crushing nudist!" Quickly adding that part while still keeping her musical tone before raising a camera to take a quick picture of Yomi.

Yomi is now shuddering with her eyes rolled up as only barely audible squeaks come out of her now wide-opened mouth. She finally screams with outrage as it seems to reverberate throughout the dorm.

The door instantly slides open as someone runs inside.

"Yomi-chan! What's-gah!?" Keitaro yelled as his complexion turns blood-red. His eyes are now as wide as saucers and bugging out with pinprick pupils, just as blood comes gushing out of his nose.

Yomi tries to huddle in on herself even more as her expression grows more horrified.

"What's going-Keitaro!?" Naru yelled as she runs inside, before turning furious and punching him through the window.

Tomo laughs before finally ducking back down to be quickly followed in succession by Kaolla, Kagura, and Sarah. Mutsumi and Osaka still remain before a pair of arms pop up between them and instantly push their heads back down. The drawer closes.

"Come back here for a beating!" Yomi finally screamed viciously as she opens the drawer and dives in. Her lower half is now stuck out as she is still trying to crawl in while kicking her legs. Heedless of the fact that she is still only wearing her glasses.

"Yomi-chan wait! You could get lost in there!" Naru yelled as she grabs Yomi by her hips and manages to pull her back out.

"I don't care!" Yomi grated shrillfully while still struggling to climb back in. "I just want to get my hands on her so badly!"

Naru keeps a firm hold of Yomi's hips while repeatedly pulling on her, not caring that she kept pressing against Yomi's bare bottom. That is when they both stop with suspicions of being watched as they slowly and simultaneously turn their heads toward the door. There in the doorway stands Kitsune, Motoko, Sakaki, Chiyo-chan, and Shinobu with bewildered looks. Motoko, however, now bears the same expression Keitaro had when he had first seen Yomi naked, only with fiercely gnashed teeth added this time. The sleeves of her kendo uniform slip to bare both of her shoulders and her bandaged chest. She falls to her knees as she hyperventilates softly and shivers. Only soft groans emit from her.

"It-It's not what it looks like!" Naru yelled desperately as she immediately lets go of Yomi to face them fully while waving her hands out at them. She is blushing intensely with sweatdrops and a close-eyed frown of embarrassment.

"She's right!" Yomi added with intensity as she quickly mimics Naru's actions, once again not caring about being naked.

Naru next babbles what happened, with Yomi jumping in to explain the rest from her perspective as the witnesses still stand there blushing. Not once does Yomi attempt to hid her nudity from them.

Once Yomi and Naru finishe, there is a moment of silence. Motoko recovers a little as she now stands after having readjusted her uniform, but still blushing and grinning sheepishly.

"S-Someone is going to have to replace the window," Shinobu said uneasily.

That is when Tomo peeks in around the corner of the doorway alongside the witnesses and bearing a gleeful expression. The rest of the bonklers are standing there behind her. Sarah, Kaolla, and Kagura sport big grins with the exception of Osaka and Mutsumi, who are giving those usual ditzy looks of theirs.

The instant Yomi notices Tomo, Tomo quickly ducks away as she starts running. Yomi screeches furiously and gives chase with no regard for her own nudity yet once again. But she ends up knocking Motoko down and they fall together, with Yomi on top. Yomi quickly gets up and continues her pursuit of Tomo, leaving Motoko lying there on the floor looking as if she is having a seizure as she shivers violently with her eyes now as swirls.

"And they're supposed to be best friends?" Kitsune said quizzically. "Then I'm glad they're not bitter enemies."

"Come on!" Chiyo-chan yelled as she runs after them. "Yomi might get in trouble!"

"Don't just lie there, Motoko!" Kitsune yelled as she puls her to her feet. "Let's go!"

They all run after Chiyo-chan, along with the remaining bonklers.

Tomo runs throughout the dorm, upstairs and down, all the while whooping and laughing with glee with a very enraged and very nude Yomi following closely behind. The rest of the residents are also following closely behind Yomi as well.

"You're dead, Tomo!" Yomi shrieked.

"I haven't had this much fun since I switched your diet pills with laxatives!" Tomo gloated loudly for Yomi to hear as tears pour out of her eyes. "You do know you're naked, don't you!?"

"I'll deal with it after I beat the shit out of you!"

"Then come get me, tub-a-lub! You need the exercise!"

"And I'll get even more when I get my hands on you!"

Yomi starts gaining on Tomo, as are the rest of the gang on Yomi. Tomo finally heads straight for the exit this time; just as Keitaro enters.

"Keitaro, don't let Tomo out the door!" Kitsune yelled as she reaches out.

Too late as Tomo plows right into him, followed immediately by Yomi. They tumble out the door together and down the steps, finally coming to a stop at the bottom. Tomo falls to one side of Keitaro. . . .

Who is now directly on top of Yomi.

He realizes immediately to his horror what he is doing and quickly gets to his feet with a bloodied nose.

"You pervert!" Naru screeched as she flies at him with a spinning roundhouse kick that sends him flying and skidding across the dirt.

Yomi now has Tomo firmly by her neck with both hands.

"You little bastard!" Shaking her violently. "Now I'm gonna do worst to you than what Naru-chan does to Keitaro-san!" Yomi finally stops shaking Tomo and pulls her fist back. "Get ready for the beating of your life!"

Only to have her wrist grabbed by Sakaki instead.

"What!?" Yomi snarled furiously at her, looking as if she wanted to trounce Sakaki instead for interfering.

Sakaki merely points off to one side with a bewildered look and an intense blush. She is pointing at the old men of the Hinata standing nearby, gaping with blood pouring out of their noses.

Yomi freezes in her position like a statue with her eyes vanishing into a shadow, her face red, and her mouth hanging wide open. A huge sweatdrop graces her head. She turns completely white as a black aura surrounds her, then lets go of Tomo and huddles in on herself as she shrinks.

The doors fly open as a trail of flames blaze all the way throughout the dorm, back to Shinobu's room where the door instantly slides shut.

Everyone soon gathers around outside of Shinobu's room.

"Yomi, Come on!" Tomo called. "I'm sorry I got a little carried away! It was only just a bit of fun!"

Still no answer.

"Tell you what!" Tomo continued. "You can come out and punch me in the face! I mean it! Come out here and punch me in the face! That should make you feel better! So what do you say!?"

"Is she serious, Kagura-chan?" Keitaro asked her.

"Yeah, she is."

For a moment, there is more silence. Then finally the door slides open and there stands Yomi, now dressed and sporting a blank expression with her mouth as a short straight line, eyes as dots, and her eyebrows now missing. She stares at Tomo for a moment, who now is sporting multiple sweatdrops, obviously pondering that offer.

"Yomi-chan, are you okay?" Kaolla asked innocently.

But Yomi says nothing as she steps out and turns to face Tomo. Everyone behind Tomo quickly steps away to either side, pressing their backs flat against the wall, expecting a punch like one of Naru's punches for Keitaro. Yomi makes a fist and slowly pulls her arm back to punch Tomo, all while keeping that blank expression. The gang brace themselves as their expressions tense.

Tomo shivers as she has her eyes shut tight and whines through gnashed teeth while multiple sweatdrops are still on her. When it doesn't come, she squints through one eye, then quickly opens them both wide as her expression instantly changes to a curious one when she sees that Yomi had since put her arm down. She still has that blank expression though.

That is when Yomi gently clasps both of Tomo's upper arms.

"What's the point, Tomo?" Her tone eerily casual while still bearing that blank expression. "What's the point in beating you up?"

"Well," Tomo began with a close-eyed open-mouthed expression of relief and tone to match as she rubs the back of her own head, "when you put it that way. Nothing I guess."

"When I can do this!" Yomi shrieked with an enraged expression as she quickly performs the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex on her. She quickly flips over onto her feet without letting go of Tomo, causing them to move.

"And this!" Again performing that suplex, before quickly flipping over onto her feet without letting go of Tomo, once again causing them to move.

On and on down the hallway, Yomi manages to repeatedly perform the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex without ever once letting go of Tomo, all while punctuating it with grating bellows of, and this.

The residents follow with gapes of awe.

"Tomo-chan's obviously insane if she likes pissing Yomi-chan off!" Kitsune gasped as both of her eyes are now wide open and bugging out with her pupils as dots.

"In all of the time we have ever known them," Chiyo-chan squeaked with that awed expression. "I've never seen Yomi get this violent with Tomo!"

"I think we oughta put a stop to it before she hurts Tomo-chan too much!" Naru said.

"Ah . . . I think that it's best that Yomi gets it all out of her system," Kagura said with beads of sweat on her head, "or she might end up staying mad at Tomo for a long time."

Haruka walks in and watches the whole mayhem as Yomi goes flipping by with Tomo. Her cigarette falls from her mouth to show her awe, despite her poker face.

"W-We'll tell you later, Haruka-sama," Motoko said uneasily with a sweatdrop.

This time, Yomi lets go of Tomo and the gang breathes a sigh of relief all at once with expressions to match.

"And finally this!" Yomi bellowed as she grabs Tomo and lifts her to her feet, holding her hand up to her face. The gang all take on a worried look, wondering what act of violence Yomi will do to Tomo this time.

"Nose flick!"

And flicks Tomo's nose then shoves her down onto the floor. Tomo lies there groaning with her eyes swirling as everyone now gathers around to stare down at her.

"Tomo! Pretending to be asleep!?" Kaolla called cheerfully as she pokes her with a stick.

"Is she going to be okay?" Naru wondered.

"Ah, don't worry about her," Yomi said as she waved nonchalantly, "I made certain that she kept falling on her head."

"Then does that mean we have to worry about the floors instead?" Osaka asked innocently.

Sarah, Kaolla, Kitsune, and Kagura burst out laughing and double over.

"That sounded so funny the way you said that," Sarah exclaimed.

"Let's get her into my room," Naru said as she takes hold of one of Tomo's limbs.

Tomo is carried into Naru's room where they lay her out onto one of the futons. They go back to whatever business they wanted to attend to.

It's suppertime by the time Tomo recovers enough to join them. She comes groaning and staggering down the stairs to eat at the now enlarged communal table with them while rubbing the back of her neck.

"So you finally recovered," Yomi said sarcastically.

"Ugggh . . . Yomi . . . I think you went a little overboard," Tomo moaned as she sits at the table directly across from her.

Only to catch sight of Yomi frowning with a vein popping out as her glasses frost up.

"But you were perfectly within your right!" Tomo quickly added while waving her hands out at her and sweating with a closed-eyed uneasy smile.

"Wow, just like Naru and Keitaro," Kaolla squeaked.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Keitaro asked her with a touch of bewilderment.

"It means that no matter how often Naru beats you up," Kaolla answered cheerfully, "you and her just keep wanting to be together."

* * *

**Note: Look up Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex on Youtube.**


	4. Bedtime with a Side of Tenderness

It is now night time and everyone is getting ready for bed. For the Azugirls it's to be their first night here.

_Chiyo-chan and Kagura_

"Too bad Tomo and Yomi wouldn't add their names to the lottery," Kagura said while undressing. "If they did, then they might have both ended up being here."

"Or either of us could've ended up sharing a room with one of them," Chiyo-chan added.

"While Yomi wouldn't be a problem," Kagura began dryly, "having Tomo for a roommate is like having a monkey for a pet."

"Ah, I think a monkey would be better behaved than Tomo," Chiyo-chan smiled in a sarcastic yet cute way.

That makes Kagura laugh before turning serious once again. "Seriously though, I wonder how Naru-chan will deal with Tomo? Or more importantly, how will Tomo behave toward her? From what we witnessed today, Naru-chan has a nasty temper when crossed and has no qualms about beating people up."

"But it always seems to be Keitaro-san who receives the brunt of her anger. Tomo and Narusegawa-chan really don't know each other all that well. When you deal with strangers, you tend to behave differently with them than you would with friends, especially close ones. It's because neither is comfortable with the other just yet."

"Then let's hope that Tomo doesn't get too comfortable with Naru-chan."

* * *

_Tomo and Naru_

How long have you and Yomi-chan been friends, Tomo-chan?" Naru asked while undressing.

"I'd have to say for as long as I can remember," Tomo answered chipperly while undressing as well, seeming to have gotten over what Yomi had done repeatedly to her.

"Then why are you so mean to her? Calling her fat and everything? She's no fatter than me."

Tomo suppressed that dangerous thought, knowing her new roommate's temper.

"It's just a little bit of good-natured ribbing," she refuted. "No harm done. I sincerely doubt Yomi believes one word of it."

"I don't believe that's right, Tomo-chan," as Naru stands there arms akimbo and with a serious expression, "I distinctively heard you mention her having diet pills, so it does get to her. Kitsune and I are close friends. We've been together since the start of high school and have never made fun of each other. So there's no excuse for you."

"What can I say, Naru-chan? It's just my way," Tomo answered nonchalantly as she dresses into her pajamas. "My parents are like it too. Mom makes fun of dad, and dad makes fun of mom. But it's all in good fun."

Naru sighs as she closes her eyes for a moment.

"You have one strange family, Tomo-chan. But keep something in mind. You and Yomi-chan might not be together forever. After all, at some point in the future when you finish college, you might both end up moving out of here in order to pursue your goals. Then you will miss her company."

"Our teachers, Yukari and Nyamo, are still together. And you should see them fight sometimes. Their fights are legendary."

"But that doesn't mean that you and Yomi-chan might be together like that."

Tomo remains silent while looking at Naru for a moment before slipping under her covers. "I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, Naru-chan."

Naru turns out the lights, bidding Tomo a goodnight who returns it in kind.

* * *

_Yomi and Shinobu_

"How do you manage to put up with Tomo-chan for so long, Yomi-chan?" Shinobu asked her while undressing.

"Sometimes even I wonder about that," Yomi answered dryly while also undressing as well.

"She makes fun of you, teases you. Even calling you fat and everything."

"I-I guess when you're friends with someone for so long, you tend to grow a thick skin with them."

"But I distinctively heard her say that you have diet pills. So it must get to you."

Yomi says nothing as she just stares at Shinobu for a moment.

"I . . . I just want to be careful not to get overweight," she said sheepishly, now standing there in her brassiere and underwear.

"But you have a wonderful body," Shinobu said respectfully. "I wish I had a body like yours."

Yomi blushes over that comment.

"I really don't believe that Tomo means what she says," she finally answered as she turns away for a moment. "I think it has to do with the fact that she has gotten used to me." Then on a more somber note as she lowers her head. "And in getting used to me, she takes me for granted."

"Well Tomo is still wrong to make fun of you," Shinobu said defensively while putting her pajamas on. "Friends are to be treasured, not ridiculed."

Yomi turns to Shinobu and smiles before continuing to dress into her own pajamas. She next gets under the covers of her own futon across from Shinobu.

"Goodnight, Yomi-chan," said Shinobu and turns out the light.

"Goodnight, Shinobu-chan."

* * *

_Osaka and Mutsumi_

"Narusegawa-chan sure gets angry with Keitaro-san," Osaka drawled while changing for bed. "Does she hate him?"

"Oh no, she loves him, Ayumu-chan," Mutsumi answered while changing too. "She just has a hard time of trying to express it to him."

"What's so hard about expressing love to someone?" Osaka asked. "If you love them then you love them and will tell them so."

"But I guess with Narusegawa, she's more afraid that other people won't respect her if she were to reveal her love for him. And Keitaro fears that he might not be able to please her if he reveals his love for her up front."

"That is so sad. To be in love only to be hurt by it. Do you love him, Mutsumi-chan?"

Mutsumi is silent for a moment. "I love him as a friend," she finally answered.

"Love is so complicated," Osaka sighed. "I hope that I never end up like that."

They lay out their futons, but at each end of Mutsumi's kotatsu instead of across the room. With Osaka lying underneath the kotatsu's blanket at her end, Mutsumi turns out the light before crawling underneath her end.

"Ahhhhh," they both sighed contently in unison. "Kotatsus."

"Goodnight, Ayumu-chan."

"Goodnight, Mutsumi-chan."

There is another moment of silence.

"You just called me Ayumu," Osaka called out while sitting up. "Twice now."

"That's because I had a feeling that you didn't like being called, Osaka," Mutsumi answers while also sitting up to face Osaka from across the kotatsu.

"You're right. It all started in grade ten when I got transferred to Tokyo. Tomo was the first to call me that and announced to the entire class that it was to be my nickname from now on. Everyone else agreed."

"But Osaka is so . . . bland. Didn't you ever let them know this?"

"No, I was never one to protest anything. I just accepted it and moved on." Osaka then lies back down.

"Like me," Mutsumi said before lying back down too.

* * *

_Sakaki and Sarah_

Maya sits near Sakaki's futon as Sakaki prepares for bed.

"How did you get Maya all the way to Tokyo?" Sarah asked while putting her pajamas and looking at him.

"I didn't," Sakaki answered. "When we were in Okinawa, he actually came up to me and let me pet and hug him. I carried him around with me for the rest of the day. When it was time to leave, I had to leave him too. Except he wanted to follow me. That is when his mother showed up and he returned to her."

She pauses for a moment to stroke him. "But after returning, I later learned over the Internet that his mother was runned over by a car and killed the day after we had left. Even to this day I don't know how Maya had done it, but he somehow left Okinawa and made it all the way to Honshu, then to Tokyo, where he found me on a street about to be attacked by a horde of cats before he saved me."

"That's incredible! It seems as if he has adopted you as his mother. Sort of like me and papa."

"I . . . guess."

"How did you manage to convince your parents or the authorities to let you keep him, Sakaki?"

"That's just it, Sarah-chan. They don't know. Up until we came here, nobody outside of my circle of friends knew what he was. It was just assumed that he's a half-breed. Now thanks to Mutsumi-chan, more people now know."

"Well if any more people hear about it, they won't be hearing it from me."

"Ah . . . th-thank you, Sarah-chan," Sakaki said with a smile and a blush. "I appreciate that."

Sakaki turns out the lights and makes her way to her futon. She bids Sarah a goodnight while crawling underneath the covers as Sarah echoes her. Maya curls up next to Sakaki.

As the night progresses, everyone sleeps soundly. Everyone that is except. . . .

"No," Sarah moaned softly as she begins tossing and turning. "I'm sorry . . . Please don't."

Maya is the first to awaken since cats are light sleepers. He stares at Sarah as she tosses and turnes, making what are distressed noises to his ears. From his very simple perspective, she is a cub in distress. He nuzzles his foster mother's face, even nipping her nose.

Sakaki awakens and is about to push Maya away from her face when she hears it.

"No, don't!" Sarah moaned a little louder. "I didn't mean to!"

Sakaki quickly sits up with a gasp and stares at Sarah for a moment in the darkness. Enough light is spilling in through the blinds to create light and dark contrasts. She can make out Sarah's shifting form, along with her blond hair. Sakaki immediately gets a heavy feeling in her heart and her tear ducts sting as tears threaten to flow.

Enough is enough, she gets up and slowly crawls over to Sarah, with Maya following alongside.

Sarah tosses and turns more intently now, gasping and shuddering this time. In the faint light, Sakaki came make out the increasing anguish on her face.

"Sarah-chan, wake up!" She called softly.

But Sarah only seemed to get worse.

"Sarah-chan!" This time shaking her.

"No! Do-!" Sarah cried out as she shoots up, only to be quickly silenced by Sakaki's hand clamping over her mouth, causing her to struggle.

"Sarah-chan, it's me! It was just a nightmare!" Sakaki gasped quickly with her lips pressed against her ear.

Sarah calms and Sakaki takes her hand away from her mouth, causing Sarah to gasp softly and waveringly. Her eyes are half-closed as she is only semiconscious. But even in what little light that brightens the room, the look of both relief and suffering are apparent in them. Tears now stream down Sarah's cheeks.

"You're safe," Sakaki whispered gently as she gently wipes Sarah's tears away. "No one is here to hurt you." The warmth and gentleness of her voice seems to give Sarah a warm and creamy sensation that spreads from her heart, relieving more of her tension.

"Here, lie back," Sakaki whispered further as she now gently pushes Sarah back. She then gently brushes Sarah's bangs aside, getting the feel of her very soft fine hair (as naturally blond hair has a tendency to be).

Sakaki then blushes profusely with that shy smile of hers and sighs softly. The next thing she does is lift the covers and crawls in next to Sarah.

"Hey, wha-!" Sarah protested sleepily.

Sakaki quickly shushes her ever so gently while touching Sarah's lips. Again the warmth and gentleness of her voice gives Sarah that warm and creaming feeling that seems to spread from her heart.

"Just sleep, Sarah-chan," she whispered while stroking her from chin all the way down to her stomach, where she rests it then briefly pats her stomach."Just sleep and dream of cute things."

Sakaki shifts around a bit to find that comfortable position while pulling Sarah into the crook of her body, effectively spooning her. Despite her grogginess, Sarah shifts a bit as well. Once they finally find it, they relax as the tension eases from them. With Sarah back on to her, Sakaki nestles her chin on top of her head. She holds the soft warm exotic little girl, who has a bit of tone from her active nature, close in her arms and feels her heartbeat through both her hands and breasts. Maya walks around and slips underneath the blankets to snuggle up next to Sarah.

Sarah is still aware of Sakaki's very warm body pressing against her, along with her rather large firm yet soft breasts. She also feels her heartbeat through her back. Sarah finds Sakaki to be firm yet not so muscular about it as there is still softness to her. She can feel Sakaki's strong arms around her with her equally strong hands holding her. Yet there is a gentleness in that strength.

Then there is the Iriomote Mountain Cat named Maya nestled up against Sarah underneath the blanket.

Each can feel the rise and fall of the other's chest along with the soft hissing of the other's breath. As their consciousness drifts away, each is feeling tranquility. Along with the brief, but distinctive feel of warm and gentle lips for Sarah upon her crown.

The morning dawns quietly over the Hinata Sou. Sakaki awakens upon her back, along with the awareness of still cradling Sarah. A sea of warm silken blond hair lies across Sakaki's lower face as she feels an even warmer face now pressing against her throat, gently blowing pleasantly hot breath against it.

Sarah had turned over in her sleep during the night, without managing to disrupt Sakaki's sleep, to lie directly on top of her. The blanket has not been disturbed as it still covers them both up past their shoulders. Underneath it, Sarah has Sakaki in a half-hug that includes her arms while clutching the fabric of her pajamas at both shoulders. Sarah's heartbeat can be felt more intimately.

That is when Sarah stirs slightly without changing her position, yet seeming to snuggle into Sakaki more intently.

Sakaki immediately blushes intensely as she makes a close-eyed wide smile. She fights against sighing and shivering, fearful of waking Sarah. Or squeezing her in her arms for that matter. That part makes her wonder about Maya, since there was the danger of him being crushed by Sarah. Carefully, Sakaki lowers one of her hands down past Sarah and feels a ball of fur alongside her before ever so gently lifting her hand back up to hold Sarah once again.

Sakaki finally calms, yet still retains her blush. A warm weariness begins settling over her bones, signaling the return of sleep.

Sarah had awakened ever so briefly. She had no more bad dreams since last night. She is immediately aware of lying on top of a very warm soft firm large body, complete with just such breasts, along with a heartbeat. Strong gentle arms embrace her and her own face is gently pressing into a warm smooth neck as she had felt thick yet soft hair against her cheek that is not her own. Sarah knows that Sakaki is awake as she had tensed slightly. That can only mean that Sakaki now knows that she is awake too. Then again, maybe not since she hadn't sent any signals that she knew. She is about to shift off of her then is just as quick to decide against it. Sakaki may have an imposing appearance, but she has a softer disposition. That and she makes a good mattress too.

Their consciousness melt away by the second as both are on the verge of entering the realm of sleep once again.

Only to have it shatter by an ear-piercing scream. . . .


	5. Rude Start and Finish to the Day

_Both Osaka and Mutsumi slowly sit up with matching close-eyed open-mouthed vacant expressions as they utter sighs to match._

"_We should wake the others, Ayumu-chan," Mutsumi drawled in that spacey manner._

"_Yes, Mutsumi-chan," Osaka agreed in that matching tone. "Let's get a pot and spoon to do it."_

"_I'll get the pot. . . . ," Mutsumi said as she stands._

"_. . . .And I'll get the spoon," Osaka finished as she also stands._

_They leave together and slowly walk down the hallway with those expressions, down to the kitchen to get their desired utensils before going back up the stairs._

"_Which room should we start with?" Osaka drawled._

"_The one at the end of the hallway?" Mutsumi drawled as she points to it._

"_Okay," Osaka drawled as she begins walking toward it, followed by Mutsumi._

_As they get within several feet of the specified room, its door suddenly slides open to reveal Shinobu, making it Shinobu and Yomi's room. She stops upon noticing Osaka and Mutsumi as they continue to slowly advance on her with those vacant expressions._

"_O-Osaka-chan, M-Mutsumi-chan," she began, "What-?"_

_Only to instantly stop upon noticing that each of them are holding a large sharp kitchen knife._

Sakaki and Sarah are jolted by the scream, with Sarah quick to rise as she pushes herself off from Sakaki, coming into very brief contact with a breast. For an instance, they look at each other with a wide-eyed blush before they finally hurry to the door and open it. Maya had since scooted out from underneath the blanket, fearful of being rolled upon.

Everyone else is now out of their rooms. More footfalls are heard thumping on the floor above them, heading toward the closest stairs. Very soon, every resident is present and staring at the bewildering sight of an armed Osaka and Mutsumi. Shinobu is standing in the doorway of the room with her eyes swirling as Yomi is holding her from behind, attempting to get between her and the armed airheads.

"O-Osaka-chan! M-Mutsumi!" Keitaro yelled with a pop-eyed pinprick pupil expression. "W-What are you two doing with those knives!?"

"Oh no, not again!" Chiyo-chan cried out with her hands to her mouth and eyes swirling.

"Knives?" Osaka said absently as she looks to Mutsumi.

"Oh, oh, we must have misplaced the pot and spoon," Mutsumi answered vacantly as she stares absently at her knife while pressing her fingers to her forehead.

"Where did mine go again?" Osaka drawled as she starts waving hers around, yet away from Mutsumi. But toward the other residents.

"Don't wave that knife around, you horses' ass!" Kitsune yelled with widened eyes in a mixture of fright and fury as she just misses getting swiped by the blade.

"Did anyone see where the pot and spoon went?" Mutsumi drawled as she too starts waving her own around, yet away from Osaka. But toward the other residents.

"Aaaaah, it's the Summerhouse all over again!" Chiyo-chan screamed as the blade passes well above her head, yet causing her to duck on a reflex.

Osaka and Mutsumi continue to carelessly, yet casually, wave their knives around; all while pleasantly asking where their pot and spoon went. Closing the doors is no good because either one of them casually opens it and begins walking around inside, all while absently waving their unintentional weapon around. The whole floor is in an uproar as the residents duck and dodge the carelessly swiping blades.

"Motoko! Haruka! Help!" Keitaro screeched as Osaka casually swipes downward at him after he had tripped and fallen on the floor. The blade embeds into the wood just a couple of inches from his groin.

Motoko quickly disarms Osaka, as does Haruka with Mutsumi. Both of the airheads now stand there with confused expressions.

"Oh, oh, we did it again," Mutsumi said absently as she presses her hand to her own forehead.

"I guess we were so tired that we took the knives by mistake," Osaka drawled absently from alongside her.

"What were you airheads thinking!?" Sarah exclaimed.

"We thought that we could wake everybody up by banging on a pot and spoon," Mutsumi answered innocently.

"Well, don't do it again!" Keitaro exclaimed.

With everyone now up and no longer able to get back to sleep due to the outrageous events, they dress and get ready for the rest of the day.

"Today on the blonker agenda," Tomo announced at the table, pumping her fists into the air, "we goof off!"

"No, you don't," Yomi stated loudly with an irritated tone. "We have to get to college and get our orienteering programs done! Then when we get back, we get down to work so that we can have an edge in."

"Aw, but I was so looking forward to exploring the rest of the secret tunnels with Sarah and Kaolla!" Tomo pouted.

"And you won't be able to continue doing so if you fail college," Yomi countered curtly, "and are forced to move out and go back to live with your parents."

"You're right! I can't let that happen!" Tomo exclaimed as she points upward in the air with a determined expression. "I'm going to study my hardest so that I can stay here and keep my new friends! Just like I did when I first entered high school!"

Tomo then proudly tells the Hinata residents about that time when she got into high school just to prove Yomi wrong.

"It seems that you are capable of applying yourself when you put your mind to something, Tomo-chan," Naru said. "Now if only you had discipline, then you might achieve anything."

"Tomo and discipline are like oil and water, Naru-chan," Yomi said dryly. "They don't mis. And besides, she only does her best just to spite someone who tells her that she can't."

"And what is wrong with that?" Tomo said grandly, then places her hand upon her own chest as she closes her eyes. "It has gotten me this far, hasn't it?"

"But it shouldn't have to be that way," Motoko interjected. "One should only achieve their goals by the force of their virtues and not of their vices."

"Whatever," Tomo quickly with close-eyed deviousness with a wave of her hand, "but at least I passed my entrance exams while Yomi failed her first two. Only to just barely pass her last one."

Yomi quickly jumps to her feet with a growling hiss and scowl at Tomo while raising her fist at her.

"How's that for a comeback, Yomi?" Tomo gloated. "You might be more mature than me but that still didn't help you pass your first two entrance exams. If anything, I should've been the one to fail all mine and you to pass all yours."

And she starts laughing, causing everyone around the table to stare at Tomo sarcastically as they sweat drop.

"Wow, with friends like Tomo-chan who needs enemies?" Kitsune said dryly.

"Shut up!" Yomi hollered gratingly at Tomo, throwing a plastic cup at her head to stop her laughing, then shakes her fist at her. "At least I'm pouring my efforts into my option! But what're you doing with those options of yours . . . !? Squandering them as usual!"

Yomi finally calms with a growl of a sigh while momentarily lowering her head and closing her eyes to readjust her glasses before scowling at Tomo once again.

"This isn't high school anymore, Tomo," her tone now firm instead of angry, "this is the rest of your life now. You just can't keep behaving this way anymore. Employers want people who are dedicated, not goof offs who barely get anything done."

"Fine, I promise to make an effort when we get back here," Tomo replied casually with a dismissive wave.

"I'm not convinced," Yomi said curtly as she sits back down in her chair.

That is when Yomi notices Kaolla happily munching down a larger pile of food, most of which include bananas.

"Eating all that will make you fat," Yomi said plainly, although her tone does carry a hint of irritation.

"Kaolla doesn't seem to gain any weight," Naru said with a touch of amazement to her tone, "and yet she eats like a horse."

"Oh, well that must be so wonderful then," Yomi said snidely at Kaolla as her glasses frost over.

Kaolla stop eating and looks at her with an innocent expression. "Why are you getting angry?"

"Because she eats like a horse and gets as big as one!" Tomo quickly clamored with a big goofy close-eyed smile while thumbing at Yomi. This gets Tomo another hit in the head from Yomi, courtesy of a thrown salt shaker this time.

"Gluttony is a danger to the body," Motoko said casually with a simpler breakfast. "Being able to contain one's appetites is the ideal."

"Oh, well excuse me for not being perfect!" Yomi snapped back as she rises out of her seat with her glasses frosted over. This time including a frown along with a vein popping out on her forehead.

"Getting angry is not going to help you curb your appetite," Motoko replied curtly with a hard stare.

"Yeah, Yomi," Tomo interjected in a mock soothing tone with an expression to match while standing. "You can't help being a bottomless pit and everything you eat gets turned to fat."

"One more word out of you, Takino, and you're dead meat!" Yomi bellowed while pointing viciously at Tomo.

"Tell them about the time you wrote those detailed diet letters to-" Tomo is quick to taunt.

But gets no further than that before Yomi runs after her. Tomo quickly runs, laughing all the time while telling everyone around about that radio show Yomi had written those detailed diet letters to. Yomi keeps chasing after her.

"I'm sure glad that they abstained from the draw for that vacant room," Keitaro shouted to Naru with a sarcastic smile.

Haruka quickly stands in front of Tomo, who comes to an immediate stop with an uneasy expression. Yomi also comes to a stop with an uneasy expression.

"Sit down and behave," Haruka said casually in her deadpan manner.

Tomo and Yomi return to their seats to finish their breakfast. Afterwards, everyone each go about their duties, with most of them going off to either school or college, or into university in the case of Keitaro and Naru.

Later that day when they return to the dorm, the bonklers (minus Mutsumi since she still has work to do) get together once again.

"Tomo, Kagura, Osaka, here is one of my inventions," Kaolla announced to them as she gestures to a very familiar device. "Su Special, Kiss Good Toy, Cherry-kun!"

The Cherry-kun, a robot that consists of a spherical head with three eyes and a mouth. The head is set upon a rod for a neck, with wires for arms with crude hand flaps, and the rod in turn is set upon a tank toy.

"A Kiss Good Toy?" Kagura said curiously as she kneels toward it to get a closer look at it.

That is when Kaolla presses a button on her remote, causing a pair of cherries to emerge from the mouth that begins twirling as the Cherry-kun shifts its position slightly. It suddenly leaps at Kagura, clasping her face between its hands, startling her intensely. With her mouth now open, the spinning cherries slip in. Kagura's eyes widen with shock, along with Tomo and Osaka's, only to narrow as she now clearly enjoys the feel of those cherries massaging her tongue.

The Cherry-kun pulls away from her to settle on the floor, and Kagura breathes a sigh of relief.

"Damn, that felt really good," she rasped.

"It give's the best kisses possible," Kaolla chirped proudly.

"A kissing machine!?" Tomo exclaimed with bewilderment. "That's-"

But gets no further before the Cherry-kun now latches onto her surprised face. It's spinning cherries disappearing into her mouth for a few seconds before letting go. Tomo slumps to the floor, looking dazed.

"That's . . . That's the best kiss ever!"

Osaka then looks down at the Cherry-kun bewilderedly with her eyes as tiny circles.

"Oh no, not me!" She exclaimed in that shocked vacant tone as she turns to run, only to be grabbed by Sarah and forcibly turned around.

"Come on, airhead," she said gleefully with a devilish expression. "Consider it a rite of passage!"

The Cherry-kun leaps at them as Osaka makes the mistake of opening her mouth wide to cry out her protest. It successfully clamps onto her face and shoves its spinning cherries into her mouth. Sarah immediately lets go of her and Osaka begins waving her arms around before it finally lets go, causing Osaka to fall to the floor with her eyes as swirls.

Osaka finally recovers, but with a bewildered look this time. "Oh no, the Cherry-kun is in love with me!" She cried out in that spacey manner.

* * *

Yomi is sitting at her desk reading her books when a knock comes at the door.

"Come in," she announced.

But nobody does, so she gets up, opens the door. . . .

. . . .And gets greeted by the Cherry-kun as it latches onto her face and slips its rotating cherries into her mouth. Her expression is naturally one of shock, which then quickly changes to a contented one.

Yomi falls to the floor as the Cherry-kun releases her and to the sound of raucous laughter from Tomo, Kagura, and Sarah.

"Was good for you too, Yomi!?" Tomo clamored in a mock tender tone at first. "It's Kaolla's invention! It kisses people!"

"I should've known," Yomi growled while still sitting on the floor and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I thought you were gonna study hard?"

"So I got sidetracked," Tomo waved nonchalantly.

"Just as I expected you would," Yomi sighed and stands.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Chiyo-chan called from down the hallway.

The bonklers turn to stare at her. Tomo, Sarah, and Kaolla each have a glint in their eyes along with a broad smile.

"I don't think we should," Kagura said cautiously, while Osaka merely remains silent.

"Chiyo-chan!" Tomo called out in a fake innocent tone with expression to match, although her eyes betray her. "Can you stand there for a moment please!?"

Kaolla sends the Cherry-kun toward Chiyo-chan, who in turn doesn't like the look of that odd thing. Moreover, she knows Tomo well enough to know that whenever she says things like that, along with that expression, something unpleasant was about to happen.

"Run, Chiyo-chan! That's a kissing machine!" Yomi yelled as if reaching out to her.

Chiyo-chan quickly obeys as she turns and runs, with the Cherry-kun now in hot pursuit and followed closely by the bonklers.

"Aaaaah, keep that thing away from me!" Chiyo-chan yelled as her eyes are now swirls.

"Come on, Chiyo-chan, you might like it!" Tomo called out. "Me, Kagura, and Osaka did!"

"Help!" Chiyo-chan yelled. "Somebody help me!"

That is when a flash of black zooms by and stands between her and the Cherry-kun. It's Sakaki with her arms spread wide and bearing a firm expression. The Cherry-kun jumps up at her and latches onto her face, sticking its cherries into her mouth. Sakaki blushes profusely as a groan emanates from her then falls to her knees as the Cherry-kun releases her. She gasps and groans while shivering with a blood-red face and her eyes now as tiny circles over the intense kiss that she had received.

"Whoa, was that your first time too?" Osaka asked her.

"Now for Chiyo-chan," Kaolla chirped triumphantly, seeing that she is now cornered and directed the Cherry-kun toward her.

"Zangaken!" Motoko is heard shouting, to be followed at once by a blast of air that strikes the Cherry-kun, smashing it against the wall. Motoko stands there with her sword in hand. Naru and the others are there as well.

"Kaolla, why did you recreate that contraption!?" Motoko demanded. The memory of being kissed by it still fresh in her mind.

"Aw, it was such a cool thing!" Kaolla whined with a pouting face.

"Tomo," Naru then stated with arms akimbo. "You promised that you were going to study hard!"

"But I was having so much fun!" Tomo whined with an expression to match Kaolla's.

"Look," Naru countered firmly. "I know you're excited to have made two new friends who have a lot in common with you, but you must get down to work."

"Just a little longer?" Tomo pressed, trying to look cute by pinching her fingers together for emphasis.

"Now!" Naru commanded with a firm point to their room and an expression being one that brooks no nonsense.

Tomo quickly complies with a fearful look. After bearing witness to Naru's anger, she doesn't want to risk being punched or kicked into orbit. Naru does help her with her studies, but it proves to be a long night as Tomo had to constantly fight against her craving for stimulation.


	6. Old Friend Matches a Challenge

The next day that afternoon has Keitaro working at his desk when his phone rings.

"Hello, Hinata Sou residence," he answered formally. "This is the manager, Urashima Keitaro, speaking."

"Oh good, I have the right place," the caller said. "Are all six of those new girls there right now?"

"Ah, yes they are. Who is this?"

"I'm an old friend who wants to surprise them. Here is what I want you to do . . ."

Later, Keitaro calls the Azugirls together and makes them assemble outside at the front of the building. Keitaro and the other tenants stick around.

"Why're we all out here, Keitaro-sempai?" Chiyo-chan asked.

"I received a phone call from somebody who wants you all out here," he answered simply.

"Who was it?" Yomi asked.

"They didn't say. Only that they'll be here very soon."

"Hey, listen!" Tomo shouted as she puts her hands to her ears.

Everyone concentrates and now hears it too. It sounds like a distant prolonged roar. The longer they listen, the louder it got. And it keeps getting louder by the second.

"That sounds like . . . like . . . ," Naru said.

"Like a car engine," Haruka said flatly.

"Yeah, it does," Keitaro mused.

They continue listening intently for awhile longer without speaking. The sound is unmistakeably that of a car. This time, they are able to discern its source, and is coming from down over the longer stairs. Louder and louder the car continues getting as it continues drawing ever closer. It is definitely coming from down over the stairs. Until finally, the car is now just seconds away from revealing itself as the roar of its engine now fills the air.

"No way, it can't be!" Yomi stated with a slightly bewildered expression.

"Yes, it can!" Tomo squeaked with a gaping grin as she jumps up and down in one spot with her arms tucked close to herself.

Chiyo-chan begins shivering with a forced smile.

A car with a silvery body shoots over the stairs on its side then corkscrews through the air before the stunned onlookers (it had actually driven up the side of those stairs like that the whole way). Sunlight glints off of the dented metal as the horn blares excitedly. The car crashes back down onto its wheels and does a three-sixty before coming to a complete stop as the engine shuts off. A couple of seconds later, the driver's door opens and a familiar figure gets out.

"Yukari!" Tomo shouted joyfully as she hurries over to her, followed quickly by the other Azugirls.

A groaning green-faced Nyamo slowly emerges through the front passengers' door with an open-mouthed frown and swirling eyes. The Azugirls joyously get reacquainted with their old teachers, now their old friends.

"Damn, and I thought Seta-san was a terrible driver!" Keitaro gasped.

"She's a funny woman! I like her already!" Kaolla piped up.

"So that's Tanizaki Yukari, eh?" Kitsune said slyly with an ever slyer look. "She sure doesn't look like someone who could drink me under the table."

"Don't judge a book by its cover," Haruka said as she strolls over to the happy reunion taking place.

"You two are a sight for sore eyes," she then said with an uplifting edge to her tone and a slight smile.

"Haruka!" Yukari proclaimed as she takes her in a bear hug. "How are you, old girl!?"

"It's so good to see you again!" Nyamo added joyously with a hug for her too.

"So what brings you two to Hinata Sou?"

"Oh, we just came to see what our old students were up to," Yukari suddenly said with a bored look and tone as she waves dismissively.

"And it has nothing to do with you missing them, right?" Nyamo quickly added with a devilish look while elbowing her.

"Certainly not," Yukari stated with a firm expression and closed eyes, before opening them once again.

"Ah, what cute little foreign girls!" She suddenly exclaimed in a quick grating tone and look of surprise while pointing at Sarah and Kaolla, who are standing side-by-side. "Especially the blue-eyed blonde!"

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Sarah McDougall," she said as she bows cordially to them.

That is when Yukari and Sarah begin conversing in English. They talk for a minute before Yukari points to Nyamo and says something about her with a devilish close-eyed grin.

"I don't need to know English, Yukari," Nyamo snapped, "to know that you're telling her that I'm just a dumb Phys. Ed. Teacher!"

"And I'm Kaolla Su!" Kaolla announced as she pops up between Sarah and Yukari. "So you're the funny driver. Can I go for a ride with you sometime?"

"Aw, how cute," Yukari said sweetly as she rubs Kaolla's head. "Sure we could, sweety."

"Kaolla-chan, no!" Chiyo-chan yelled as she reaches out to her with both arms. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into!"

"Chiyo-chan," Keitaro began, "Kaolla has been known to sometimes fly around with a jet pack strapped to her back."

Yukari and Nyamo are then introduced to the rest of the Hinata residents.

"So does being the manager here mean you get lucky with a different girl every night?" Yukari asked Keitaro flagrantly with a mischievous look and tone. "Or perhaps with the whole group, minus the minors? Or do you include the junior high schoolers as well in your group activities?"

"Yukari, how rude!" Nyamo exclaimed with outrage and a smack across the back of her head.

"Ah, no, no, Yukari-chan," Keitaro said as he rubs the back of his head with an embarrassed look. "N-Nothing like that goes on around here."

"Keitaro does like peeping in on us whenever we all bathe!" Kaolla chirped.

"Those were accidents! All accidents!" Keitaro exclaimed as he waves his arms in the air.

"Not according to Naru and Motoko!" Kaolla sung while spinning around.

Keitaro merely shivers, knowing that to further object could earn him a beating from either or both aforementioned girls.

That is when Mutsumi walks up to Yukari and leans forward to stare intently into her face, causing Yukari to lean back while gnashing her teeth with bewilderment.

"Oh, oh, you have such a pretty face," Mutsumi squeaked upon immediately turning side-on to her with one hand upon her own face and pointing to Yukari with the other. "Are you still in high school?"

"They were our high school teachers, you ditz!" Tomo hollered humorously at Mutsumi.

"I still got it!" Yukari proclaimed as she brushes her hand through her own hair, before making a saucy close-eyed grin while pointing. "Now Nyamo on the other hand-"

"Don't you friggin' say it!" Nyamo growled as she clutches her fists and trembles with brewing anger as she takes on a flaming aura.

"Fine, fine," Yukari said as she slowly turns away from Nyamo while retaining that smile. "Just-humph!?"

Mutsumi now has her lips on Yukari's lips while steadying her bewildered face.

Everyone around gapes at them. Whereas Motoko goes into another fit like she did yesterday when she had witnessed Yomi and Naru in that oh-so compromising position.

Yukari shoves Mustumi away and fiercely wipes her lips. "What the hell!?" Her tone and expression of outrage. "Are you a lesbian or something!?"

"Oh, oh, I did it again," Mutsumi sighed as she places her hand to her own forehead.

"Let's just go inside and have some tea," Keitaro announced.

Everyone gathers in the dining room, with the tea prepared by Shinobu and served.

"So you really missed us, Yukari-sensai?" Chiyo-chan asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," Yukari snapped with an angry expression. "I'm only here because Nyamo dragged me here!" Before taking a sip of her tea.

"Don't you believe her for one minute, girls," Nyamo grinned slyly with closed eyes, causing Yukari to tremble with that angry expression as she growls through clenched teeth and makes a fist.

"She said, and I quote," Nyamo continued with that smarmy expression, "I'm sure going to miss those girls."

"Aw, Yukari, you do love us!" Tomo chimed with a sugary expression while folding her hands in a clasping manner and pressing them against her chin.

"Hey, you wanna step outside!" Yukari shouted as she shoots up out of her seat and thumping her fist onto the table while pointing menacingly at Tomo.

After Yukair settles down, Kitsune walked up to her and just stands there beside her, looking down her nose at her with what can only be described as a mixture of a smirk and a glare.

"What!?" Yukari exclaimed back up at her with a sneer. "You wanna gimme a kiss me too!?"

From out of nowhere, Kitsune whips out a gauntlet and throws it down at Yukari's feet.

"I, Mitsune Konno, Kitsune," she announced before pointing, "challenge you, Tanizaki Yukari, to a drink off!"

All of the sensible people present groan with a hopeless expression.

"All right, this is gonna be so cool!" Tomo exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air.

"Nobody can beat Yukari!" Kagura added ardently.

"You guys still don't know Kitsune," Sarah countered proudly. "I once saw her down a whole bottle of saki by herself and all it gave her was a buzz!"

"Oh yeah!" Tomo countered back. "Well from what I heard, Yukari once finished off a whole crate load of saki all by herself and all she did was stagger a little!"

"No, she didn't, Tomo," Nyamo said dryly. "Although she did down two whole bottles by herself

and was still able to walk afterwards."

"So?" Kitsune asked as she bends down, her face now a couple of inches away from Yukari's. Both her eyes now halfway open to reveal her brown eyes gleaming deviously "What do you say, old woman? Can you still take your alcohol?"

Yukari stares back up at her impassively for a moment before laughing in her face.

"You're out of my league, little girl," she sighed smarmily while waving her away dismissively. "I had my first drink when I was fourteen."

"And I had my first drink when I was thirteen," Kitsune countered as she straights once again with arms folded while staring down her nose at Yukari.

"Yeah, so?" Yukari said as a touch of irritation entered her tone. "The point is I had my first drink back when you were still in preschool."

"But my liver still works while yours must be showing signs of wear and tear by now."

"Ooh, come on, Yukari," Tomo taunted. "Chugalug!"

"Yeah, chugalug!" Kagura added excitedly.

"Chugalug, chugalug, chugalug!" Kaolla chanted.

This causes Tomo, Kagura, and Sarah to chant with Kaolla several times as they stand shoulder-to-shoulder. They are suddenly quieted from a slap across the backs of their heads simultaneously by a large white fan, courtesy of a frowning Haruka.

"Settle down," she stated flatly as she then holds the fan like a shotgun, while the four look back at her with befuddled expressions and rubbing the backs of their heads.

Yukari stares silently back up into Kitsune's eyes, before closing her own eyes and slowly bending over to pick up the gauntlet. She stands to get into Kitsune's face and opens her eyes, giving her a glaring smile.

"You're gonna regret this, little girl." Her tone cold, low, and menacing.

Tomo whoops with glee as do the rest of the louder bonklers.

And through a whirlwind of actions, the contest gets set up as a festive event. Tomo in a booth hawking shirts and other souvenirs for the Yukari vs. Kitsune drink off and Kaolla dressed in an announcer uniform, complete with a stripped jacket and hat and holding a cane. Sitting in their chairs directly across from one another is Yukari and Kitsune, each glowering at the other.

"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Come one, come all!" Kaolla announced joyously. "Get your tickets to see the main event! See the clash of the Beauties of Booze! The Honeys of Hooch! It's Tanizaki "Iron Liver" Yukari versus Mitsune "Bottle Chugger" Konno! Who will win the coveted title of World Champion Drinker!?"

"Is all this really necessary, Kaolla-chan?" Chiyo-chan asked as she seems to slide in alongside her with a large sweat drop and an expression halfway between a frown and a smile.

The whole festive event suddenly stops and everything is back to normal now.

"Just adding a little excitement!" Kaolla stated innocently.

The Azugang now stand behind Yukari for moral support, whether they wanted to be there or not. Except for Tomo and Kagura who are both excited, while Osaka is in her usual spaced-out excitement. Kitsune has the same as well in regards to the Hinata gang. The first thing they agreed on was an alcoholic beverage. That being saki since it's so readily available.

"The rule is simple," Kitsune stated with a smarmy grin as she makes a point. "The loser is the one who pukes."

Yukari humphs with a contemptuous glare as she folds her arms.

"You clearly never drank with a real woman before," she casually taunted. "The loser will be the one who keels over unconscious or dead, whichever comes first."

_That look_, Kitsune thought nervously as her expression betrays her slightly. It is a look of someone with deadly serious intentions in what they are about to do. _Good Lord, she really means to put her life on the line! What have I gotten myself into!?_

But her expression hardens. _No! I can't back out now or I'll end up losing face!_

"So be it," Kitsune finally answered firmly, if somewhat nervously.

"Bring out the kegs!" Yukari immediately bellowed over her shoulder.

Tomo and Kagura wheels out a large keg of saki for Yukari, as do Sarah and Kaolla for Kitsune. Either one of those kegs contain enough saki to send a man into a coma. Next, Tomo and Sarah come forward with a plastic drinking cup for their intended champions.

"Forget the stupid cups! Go get us a pair of hoses!" Yukari shouted while getting up and slapping the cup out of Tomo's hand, then grabbing the other from Sarah and hurling it away. "We're suckin' 'em dry!" Pumping her fists in the air, knocking Tomo and Sarah away from her as they go flying in opposite directions.

"Yukari-chan's scary," Shinobu quailed as she huddles behind Motoko with a frightened expression.

"That woman clearly glorifies her debauchery," Motoko said grimly.

"Will this do, Yukari-chan?" Kaolla asked her as she holds up a garden hose.

"That'll do fine," Yukari waved. "Now just cut it."

"Motoko, can you cut this for us?" Kaolla asked her as she holds a straightened section out to her.

"I refuse to aid this gross display of hedonism in any way," she answered curtly and formally as she crosses her arms while closing her eyes and raising her head.

"Gimme that!" Yukari snapped as she grabs the hose from Kaolla. Yukari straightens a section out and opens her mouth wide.

"She wouldn't," Naru sneered with bewilderment.

Yukari then chomps hard on the hose, causing it to snap in two. Everybody gapes, including Haruka, if in a deadpan manner, as her cigarette falls out of her mouth.

"She did," Keitaro gasped.

Yukari spits out the piece she bit off then hands the now two pieces of hose to each team, who then carefully place their piece of the hose into their respective keg. A bucket is placed alongside either challenger too.

It's now time. Yukari sits in her chair across from Kitsune as they hold their hoses at the ready to put in their own mouths while giving the other a grim stare.

"Do I at least get a chance to catch my breath?" Kitsune suddenly asked. Not that she won't be allowed to, only to just try and fasten down any sense of insecurity she might now be having.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure," Yukari answered dryly. "This is about who can drink the most."

"All right then!" Tomo announced as she stands alongside, yet between them. Yukari and Kitsune place their respective hoses into their mouths.

"Ready . . . ! Set . . . ! Suck!"

And the two challengers begin sucking the saki out of their kegs, amid the cheering of their more hyper teammates, stopping only long enough to catch their breath. They dribble a bit in the process, something both challengers are keen on trying to prevent. Tomo, Kagura, Kaolla, and Sarah are cheering their champions on as they wear cheerleader outfits, compete with pom-poms.

"Go, go, Yukari! Go, go, Yukari!" Tomo and Kagura chanted in unison, ending with a jump.

"Go, go, Kitsune! Go, go, Kitsune!" Kaolla and Sarah chanted in unison, ending with a jump.

On and on, the two challengers continue sucking the contents out of their kegs.

"Those two can really take their alcohol," Naru said with a touch of intrigue several minutes into the challenge.

"Yeah," Keitaro added in agreement. "They should be loaded by now!"

Eventually though, the saki does start affecting the two challengers as they each had to stop for a moment to get their bearings. Finally, they both turn a shade of green. Their team is quick to pick their bucket up and hold it close to their faces. The challengers empty their stomaches into their bucket.

"Wha-What's w-wrong, old woman?" Kitsune slurred. "Y-You g-gonna soon quit?"

"Shu-Shut up and s-suck," Yukari slurred back.

They go back to chugging once again, seeming to have gotten their second wind.

As the minutes pass, the effects of intoxication become increasingly more intense now as their expressions are dazed and they look ready to fall off their chairs. For a moment, it looks as if they are going to hurl once again as their team ready their buckets. But it doesn't happen and they continue chugging away.

"Oh, oh, they should be in a coma by now!" Mutsumi gasped with her eyes now open. "And yet they're each determined to drain their kegs!"

"I've never seen Yukari drink that much before and still be conscious," Haruka said with an edge of respect in her tone. "Nor Kitsune for that matter."

"But they both look like they're gonna fall over any second now," Shinobu said nervously.

"We should put a stop to this repugnant spectacle of debauchery," Motoko sneered curtly.

"Leave 'em be, Motoko," Haruka said as she puts a hand on her. "Interfering now will only incur Yukari's wrath. And besides, Kitsune started all this. Maybe this'll teach her a lesson not to go challenging others just to overindulge in alcohol."

The two challengers continue sucking away until gurgling sounds are finally heard emanating from their kegs, showing that they have run out. But they continue sucking on their hoses. Finally, they both stop sucking as no more saki comes out. Each challenger sways as they stare at each other for a moment. Both of them far too drunk to so much as slur one word, let alone two. For long seconds they stare each other down through their intense drunken haze before suddenly keeling over at the same time in mirrored directions.

The residents rush to either of them, fearful that they have died, but are relieved to discover that they are only unconscious. The Azugang carries Yukari to a sofa and the Hinata gang carries Kitsune up to her room.


	7. That's Insane!

It's the middle of the next morning by the time Yukari and Kitsune each awaken. At first, they are confused over what had happened, until it all comes back to them through their hangovers.

Hangovers so intense that their judgment get suspended.

Shinobu's screaming carries throughout the dorm and everyone, except Kitsune, come running. They all burst in to see what the matter is, with Motoko leading the charge and brandishing her sword. Everyone comes to a sudden halt behind the thoroughly bewildered diminutive girl as her face is blood-red and her eyes are as wide as saucers with pinpricked pupils. The rest of the gang now take on the same looks themselves. Shinobu tries to speak but can only point at the source of her screaming. And that source is Yukari.

"Will you goddamn retards keep it down, I got a headache! Shut up . . . ! Oh wait, that's me."

"Oh, oh," Mutsumi sighed, though her expression is not as intense as the others, it is intense enough for someone of her demeanor.

"Oh, my God," Haruka said in her usual deadpan tone and expression as her cigarette drops out of her mouth, though her eyes do show a touch of bewilderment.

"It's a disaster, it's all crazy!" Osaka stated spacily with her usual spacey bewildered expression.

"This is not happening!" Nyamo squeaked as she has her face buried into her hands while shaking her head.

"Y-Yukari-chan!" Naru squeaked. "Wha-What a-are y-you d-doing!?"

"What does it look like, genius!? I'm having a piss and I got a bad case of diarrhea!" Squelching sounds emphasize her statement. "Aren't there locks on these washroom doors!? Shut up . . . ! Oh wait, that's me."

"B-B-But y-you're u-using a . . . a . . . s-soup pot!" Chiyo-chan squeaked as her eyes are now swirls.

"And this is the kitchen!" Nyamo shrieked furiously with swirl eyes of her own.

Yukari stares back with a half-asleep look before looking around and finally noticing that it truly is the kitchen. And that she is actually using a soup pot too.

"Oh," she finally groaned nonchalantly. "I was wondering why I couldn't find the toilet."

There is a flash of a camera.

"Got it!" Sarah exclaimed gleefully as she holds a mini-digital camera aloft.

"Me too!" Tomo chimed as she take a picture too.

"Ahhhhh! Finished!" Yukari stated contentedly as she rises, heedless of the crowd before her and looks around. "Oh, there's the tissues." And begins pulling paper towels down then starts wiping herself off.

That is when Naru finally notices Keitaro gaping alongside her as she does a double take.

"Get out, sicko!" She snarled through the second take while giving him a vicious right hook that sends him flying out the kitchen through the door.

"Kitsune!" Motoko gasped. "She might be doing something shameful from her lack of judgment! We must go see to her!"

"Nyamo and I will tend to Yukari," Haruka said. "The rest of you get going."

They hurry out, trampling Keitaro along the way. But when they get to Kitsune's room, they find her gone. They check the washroom on the floor, but she isn't there. Nor is she in the baths when they check there either.

"Where can she be!" Yomi exclaimed as she scratches her head.

"Okay, here is what we're going to do," Naru stated. "We're going to break up into four teams of three to search for Kitsune. One group is going to have to stay up here in case she makes her way back."

"I'll do it," Yomi said. "And so will Osaka and Mutsumi-chan."

"We will?" Osaka asked absently.

"Yes, we will," Yomi stated with a frown as her eyes are spots and lines, showing her seriousness.

"Now that that part is settled," Naru continued. "Another group will take the top floor. Shinobu, Kagura, Chiyo-chan, that's your job."

"Yes," all three said in unison.

"Kaolla, Tomo-chan, Sarah, you take the bottom floor."

"Yes," all three of them shouted in unison as they jump.

"So that leaves me, Motoko, and Sakaki-chan to search the outside."

"But how are we going to let the others know when we find her?" Chiyo-chan asked.

"Got it covered!" Kaolla yelled proudly while holding up four small walkie-talkies.

"Oh, that's great, Kaolla!" Naru said as she takes one and turns it on, as do the others. "Okay, let's go."

Each group hurries off, except Yomi's group as they simply stay in Kitsune's room. Yomi sits on the floor with a bored expression. Osaka sits on one side of her and Mutsumi on the other.

"Why did you choose us to stay here with you, Yomi-chan?" Mutsumi asked.

"Because you two are the easiest to deal with things that involve staying in one place. Tomo, Kaolla, and Sarah-chan would only get too bored and end up running off or amusing themselves with all sorts of mischief. The others may be more disciplined, but they are better able to go looking instead of staying put. Then there is also the reason that the both of you tend to-"

That is when Mutsumi suddenly leans heavily onto her, followed immediately by Osaka, causing Yomi to growl with annoyance as her eyes become dots and lines.

"-fall asleep."

Osaka wakes up and sits upright once again. Mutsumi awakens too, only to start nuzzling Yomi, much to her chagrin.

"Kaolla was right," Mutsumi sighed with her face still buried into Yomi. "You do feel soft and squishy, like hot jelly."

"Ahhh, you're right," Osaka sighed as she does the same thing too.

"Will you both cut that out!" Yomi hollered as she quickly stands.

* * *

The others search high and low for Kitsune, but can't find her. Down in the main area, near the kitchen, Keitaro now stands. As if right on cue, Kitsune staggers in.

Stark naked.

Keitaro's complexion turns blood red as his eyes go wide like saucer plates and bug out with his pupils as pinpricks. Blood comes gushing out of his nose

"Oh, there you are," Kitsune purred as she staggers up to him and grabs ahold of him. Blood continues to gush out of his nose. "Let's get it on, baby." And she pushes him up against the wall where she starts rubbing herself against him. His eyes now roll up into his head as he quavers and makes choking sounds.

And who should happen come onto the scene but. . . .

"Hey, we found Kitsune!" Tomo yelled gleefully into the walkie-talkie, with Sarah and Kaolla on either side of her with gleefully expressions. "She's naked and Keitaro-san's trying to seduce her!"

"No, I'm not!" He screamed hysterically.

The teams quickly start arriving to bear witness to the scene. Haruka comes out of the kitchen with a package in her arms, along with Nyamo who has Yukari braced across her shoulders. Naru, Motoko, and Sakaki are the last to arrive.

"Keitaro!" Naru snarled with a frown and glowing red eyes as she holds her fist up.

"It-It's not what it looks like!?" Keitaro screamed.

"Spare me your feeble excuses!" Naru snarled then punches him, causing his head to make a crater in the wall, which in turn causes Tomo to laugh hysterically.

"Now that we've found Kitsune," Motoko announced curtly, causing Tomo to stop laughing, "let's get her dressed."

"And get some coffee into them," Nyamo answered wearily while still holding a dazed Yukari aloft.

Haruka stands near Tomo, then looks nonchalantly at her.

"Here's a present from Yukari," she said in samesaid tone as she shoves the package into her arms. The package containing the soup pot as its lid had also been sealed onto it.

"Gah, no way!" Tomo hollered with disgust as she shoves it into Sarah's arms.

"Don't give it to me, you idiot!" Sarah exclaimed with outrage as she shoves it back into Tomo's arms.

"Dump it in the garbage," Haruka answered curtly with a mild rap of her knucks against Tomo's head.

"Careful, Haruka-san, you might break your knuckles," Yomi said dryly.

Tomo runs off and dumps it in the garbage can out back then quickly returns. They help Yukari to a table where she waits while the coffee still brewed. As they wait, they get Kitsune dressed.

Both are now at the table, sitting next to one another and awaiting their coffee as Haruka stands over them. Yukari and Kitsune look thoroughly worn out as they are black around the eyes with bags hanging from them. Tiny bubbles pop around their heads, showing their intense hangovers. The rest of the residents had gathered around.

"That . . . was a real hell-raiser we had yesterday," Yukari moaned.

"It's a pity that I can't remember much," Kitsune said. "So who won?"

"It was a tie!" Tomo exclaimed excitedly at them as she leans over the table at them while laying hands on it.

"Not so loud, you ass!" Yukari rasped.

"Yeah," Kitsune agreed curtly. "My head still feels like it's being worked over with a sledgehammer!"

"So it was a tie, eh?" Yukari groaned, then makes a big sniff while looking at Kitsune.

"That's what she said," Kitsune answered as she looks back at Yukari.

Both stare at the other for a few seconds.

"Rematch?" Kitsune smirked.

"Sure," Yukari grinned.

"No rematch," Haruka said firmly with a frown while casually knocking their heads together, causing a hollow clunking sound.

"Argh, damn it, Haruka!" Yukari snarled lazily with a frown while holding her head.

"Geez, we're only joking!" Kitsune rasped loudly with a matching frown and mimicking Yukari.

Next, they lay across the table in mirroring poses, complete with a long loud pained groan as each seem as if they are about to melt across it.

"Wanna go for a drink later?" Yukari suddenly moaned.

"Sure," Kitsune moaned back.

"No more drinks," Haruka said firmly with a frown, this time casually slapping them across the backs of their heads simultaneously with a large white fan that she had instantly whipped out. Once again causing the two hangover victims to groan loudly with pain as they clasp at their heads.

Yukari and Kitsune finally get their coffee and began sipping them in order to dispel their hangovers. Later, when they both recover, it is decided that Yukari and Nyamo are to spend the night at the Hinata Sou then leave tomorrow morning. By evening came, Yukari and Kitsune are well over their hangover as they are eating a meal at the table.

It's after supper when they are sitting on the sofa that Kaolla jumps onto Yukari's lap, straddling her, much to Yukari's bewilderment.

"Take me for a ride, Yukari!" Kaolla pleaded while bouncing in her lap and shaking her by the shoulders. "Come on, take me for a ride!"

"Kaolla-chan, I don't think you're up to it," Chiyo-chan moaned with a forced smile.

"Hey, what about me?" Tomo exclaimed. "I've ridden with her! I'd love to go for a ride with her again!"

"Is there any chance that I can go for a ride too, Yukari-chan!?" Sarah asked eagerly.

Yukari looks between the three of them, then makes a devious close-eyed smile.

"Why not," she stated.

"Hurray! Hurray!" Kaolla cheered as she gets up and starts jumping around. "A ride with Yukari! A ride with Yukari!"

The combined Azu and Hinata gang look at them with bewildered expressions as they sweatdrop.

"If Tomo enjoys riding with Yukari," Kagura said, "then it only stands to reason that Sarah and Kaolla-chan will."

"Nyamo-chan," Keitaro asked her with uneasy close-eyed expression and tone. "Is her driving really as reckless as we had just witnessed yesterday?"

"No," she answered with matching tone and expression. "She's usually a lot more reckless than that."

Yukari races out to the car, followed closely by Tomo, Sarah, and Kaolla. They get in and buckle up. The residents all go outside to watch them getting ready to leave.

"Will they truly be okay?" Naru asked Nyamo.

"Tomo might be okay," she answered somberly as a faint sweatdrop goes down the side of her face. "But I don't know about Kaolla or Sarah-chan. They might each wind up like Chiyo-chan."

Chiyo-chan shivers in response as she moans waveringly with a ghostly expression.

"You think we ought to stop them?" Shinobu asked with unease.

But the car engine roars to life and begins swiveling all over the courtyard.

"Too late," Kitsune answered dryly with opened eyes.

Finally the car stops, before it zooms over the stairs. Anotherwords, fly.


	8. Aftermath

For two hours, Yukari zooms around Hinata City, leaving a trail of smoke that can be seen rising from the streets in the distance. Explosions occur as mushroom clouds rise from wherever the Yukarimobile had struck something, only to continue onward. There are moments when the car can be seen flying through the air. Not only flying, but flipping, corkscrewing, and tumbling as well. And as always, more explosions and dust trails rising from the roads.

The residents are in awe of all this as they watch from the rooftop. Chiyo-chan huddles in on Shinobu, who in turn cradles her, as she shivers and doesn't want to watch the terrifying sight below.

"Oh, oh," Mutsumi said softly, with her eyes wide open.

"I-I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it for myself!" Kitsune gasped with wide-open eyes.

"Now you all know what Chiyo-chan and Osaka had to go through when they first drove with her," Yomi said grimly.

"Her driving is truly insane!" Naru gasped.

"It scares me to just think about what Tomo, Sarah, and Kaolla must be going through!" Shinobu gasped.

"I sure hope they're okay!" Keitaro said in awe.

"This is an outrage, Nyamo-chan!" Motoko stated angrily at her. "Why do the law authorities permit that woman to drive so recklessly!? She is putting the lives of her passengers and everyone else at risk!"

"I've often puzzled over that myself," Nyamo answered.

They continue to watch the smoke, explosions, and periodic aerial maneuvers of the Yukarimobile. Finally, the car comes driving straight toward the Hinata Sou as they see a trail of smoke being left behind it.

"Oh dear lord, she won't!?" Kitsune gasped as her eyes widen and she blinks.

"What do you think with how they arrived yesterday?" Kagura said dryly with a tired bewildered look.

Closer and closer the Yukarimobile gets until when it's just seconds away from hitting the steep steps, it shoots up onto its side, driving only along on its side wheels. Without losing momentum, it goes up the edge of the stairs. Finally, it shoots up the stairs like it did yesterday, corkscrewing for a grand finale before it finally lands on its wheels and does a three-sixty. The engine is immediately shut off and the doors open as their occupants get out. The residents race down through the building and outside. They approach Yukari, Kaolla, and Tomo as they in turn approach them.

"Whee! That was fun! That was fun!" Kaolla shouted gleefully while jumping.

"I told you you'd love it!" Tomo shouted with just as much glee.

"Where's Sarah-chan?" Motoko asked them.

"Oh, she must be still in the backseat then," Tomo answered curiously as she looks back at the Yukarimobile.

Sakaki runs over and looks in, then gasps with shock and opens the door to reach inside. But not before holding her nose.

"Come on, Sarah-chan," she whispered as she leads her out by the hand. "Everything will be okay."

Sarah's hair is disheveled and she is shivering with a pie-eyed pinprick-pupiled expression. She has an eerie smile.

"Sarah, are you all right!?" Naru exclaimed.

That is when everyone notices the wet spot on her crotch running down her pants legs. Worse, when they get close enough, everyone else reacts with disgust at a smell that compels them to pinch their noses.

"Ew, Sarah! You used the washroom in your pants!" Kaolla exclaimed.

"You had better not messed up the upholstery, lemon head!" Yukari snapped. "That's my parent's car!"

Only to get a smack across the back of her head from both Nyamo and Haruka.

"The Angel of Death was knocking on the window," Sarah chimed in a soft eerie tone. "He told me that he could take me away from Hell. But don't worry, I didn't listen." That is when she started cawing like a crow three times. "The apocalypse is nigh! Caw! Caw! Caw!" Her tone matching a crow's.

"You agree too?" Osaka asked absent-mindedly.

"I'll get her cleaned up," Sakaki said and she begins leading Sarah away by the hand.

"Yeah, you go do that," Keitaro chuckled.

"What're you implying!?" Naru demanded as she winds up then punches him, sending him flying a dozen feet or so across the yard. Yukari and Nyamo gape at the scene.

"And lo I saw a pale rider upon a pale horse and his name is Death and Hell followed him," Sarah suddenly announced, quoting the Bible in a now husky tone while pulling her hand away from Sakaki to momentarily wave her hands in the air.

Sakaki takes her by the hand once again and leads her away. Tomo and Kaolla watches as they blink innocently.

"I don't understand?" Kaolla asked innocently. "Tomo and I loved it."

"You bet, it was so exciting!" Tomo exclaimed while pumping her fist in the air.

"Perhaps it has to do with you two being true thrill seekers whereas Sarah-chan is not," Motoko answered.

Then she turns to face Yukari with a scowl.

"But that still does not excuse you, Tanizaki Yukari!" Her tone cold with an equally cold glare as she clasps the pommel of her sword, causing Yukari to frown with unease. "You are a reckless woman who has no regard for the lives and well-being of other people! You have just scarred an innocent little girl for life! You have bought shame upon yourself, your friends, and your family!"

Then whips her sword out, pointing the tip at Yukari.

"You need to be disciplined!" Ending on a ringing tone with a grim expression as a gleam runs down the blade.

Yukari reacts in the same manner that she had when Tomo had shown her that squashed cockroach back in high school. No sooner does Motoko begin advancing on her before Yukari sees that she is deadly serious, then turns and runs screeching, causing Motoko to give chase. With her kendo training, she is quick to catch Yukari, who put up a fight. But Motoko is stronger and more skilled than her and manages to get her into proper position for her discipline. The sounds of Yukari being disciplined ring throughout the air, accented by her screeches of pain.

Throughout it all, the residents watch with passive expressions and large sweat drops, save for Haruka.

"I saw that one coming," Haruka droned.

"Is Yukari going to be okay?" Nyamo asked.

"Don't worry," Naru answered assuredly. "Motoko knows how far she can go before causing permanent injury."

"Damn, I sure don't wanna get on Motoko-chan's bad side," Kagura said.

* * *

Sakaki and Sarah are in the bathing area, with Sakaki now washing Sarah down. Maya sits nearby, pawing at Tama as he hovers before him. Sakaki had helped Sarah undress and toss her soiled clothing into a tub of hot water to soak, much to Sakaki's subtle expression of disgust.

As Sakaki washes her down, she takes note of a scar on Sarah's back. It looks as if it had been caused by a burn.

"What happened there?" She asked as she rubbed it.

"Oh that was from a flanker from a campfire that flicked onto my back," Sarah answered.

"Okay," Sakaki answered. She knows that a simple flanker causes only second degree burns that don't leave scars. This scar in particular looks like something caused by a third degree burn.

But there's a darker aspect here and it's that Sarah blew it off as nothing serious. Sarah is hiding something, but Sakaki didn't want to pry.

"Why did you get into the car with Yukari-sensai if you thought you were going to get scared like that?" Sakaki then rebuked gently.

"I didn't think I was going to," Sarah protested. "I've been on some of Kaolla's crazy contraptions and enjoyed them! But when it came to Yukari and her driving . . . !? That . . . That was different!"

"How?"

"I don't know . . . ! I . . . I guess it was . . . like . . . like there was no certainty or something! As wacky as Kaolla is, her inventions are predictable. But with Yukari . . . there was none of that knowing how things are going to turn out . . . ! If you know what I mean."

"I . . . I think I do," Sakaki said. "Yet Tomo and Kaolla enjoyed themselves; especially Tomo, since she once drove with Yukari and enjoyed it."

"But that's Tomo and Kaolla. They truly live for the thrill."

"And you don't?"

Sarah is silent for a moment. "I . . . I don't know," she answered sheepishly.

"Are you afraid that you might fall behind them?"

Again Sarah is silent for a moment. "Ever before you guys showed up, I thought that I was the only one who could match Kaolla in hyperness. Now with Tomo, and probably Kagura, she's met her equal and is closer to their age range."

"And you think they might leave you behind now that Tomo is here?" As Sakaki pauses a moment to gently stroke her shoulder.

Again Sarah is silent as she sighed. "I . . . I don't think that would happen. Kaolla loves people and she loves making new friends."

"Tomo is the same way, Sarah-chan," Sakaki said with assurance as she continues lathering Sarah's hair. "Do you remember how excited she was when you and Kaolla became her new friends?"

"Yeah."

"Give them time, Sarah-chan, and you will get used to the new situation."

"Yeah, you're right," Sarah answered as she looks up at her. "You know . . . for someone who doesn't talk very much . . . you sure have a lot to say."

Sakaki blushes and grins.

"Oh and if I ever have another nightmare," Sarah continued with a sheepish grin before closing her eyes, "you can cuddle with me."

Again Sakaki blushes and grins. Since Sarah slept peacefully last night, she slept on her futon alone, much to her own slight disappointment.

"Ah, th-thank you, Sarah-chan." As she strokes her hair.

* * *

Motoko finishes meting out Yukari's discipline. She returns to the group as Yukari limps after her while groaning and rubbing herself. Nyamo stands there with a somber look and folded arms.

"Don't say a word," Yukari threatened angrily.

Everyone returns inside. Sakaki and a now-cleaned Sarah are there to greet them.

"Shinobu," Sarah said, "you might want to wear a bio-hazard suit when you clean my clothes."

"Ah . . . I'll keep that in mind," Shinobu said with an uneasy smile as she sweat drops.

"You're strangely silent about this?" Yomi said to Tomo. "I was expecting you to make fun of Sarah's accident."

"Aw, come on, Yomi," Tomo said with a close-eyed uneasy smile and rubbing the back of her head. "I respect her too much."

"But not me, I take it?" Yomi growled as she crosses her arms and her glasses frost over before her eyes turn to dots and lines. "In fact, if I or anyone else here were to have had that accident, you would've made fun?"

"You, definitely," Tomo smiled. "And perhaps, Osaka and Chiyo-chan. Kagura or Sakaki maybe. Or even Keitaro, Shinobu, Kaolla, Kitsune, and Mutsumi for that matter."

"But not Haruka, Naru, or Motoko then?" Sarah weighed in with folded arms and blue dots and lines for eyes in a sarcastic manner. "And furthermore, I suppose it has nothing to do with the fact that you know that I know Jeet Kung Do?"

She suddenly further emphasizes her point by making a quick shout as she jumps and does a spinning roundhouse kick to Keitaro's head, knocking him off his feet, before landing in a battle stance.

"No, none at all," Tomo said with a close-eyed wide and uneasy smile as she waves briskly with both hands.

"I guess I better figure out who to put you up with for the night, Yukari-chan," Keitaro groaned as he gets back up and rubs his head while addressing her. "Since Nyamo-chan will again be spending the night with Aunty Haruka."

"Just Haruka," Haruka said in a firm, but always deadpan tone while frowning as she casually plants her fist into his face. She then lowers her hand as she continues more casually to him. "And I think it best you put Yukari in with me tonight, Keitaro, and Nyamo in with somebody else. No offense, Nyamo."

"Oh, that's okay, Haruka," Nyamo waved nonchalantly with closed eyes. "It can be her turn to catch up on old times with you."

"Okay then," Keitaro said as he rubs his face before looking between Kitsune, Motoko, and Kaolla. "Let me think."

Kitsune is a near-stranger to Nyamo and is a little too much like Yukari for Nyamo's comfort level just yet. Moreover, there might be a chance of Kitsune trying to get her drunk as a way of getting back at Yukari. Since being close friends with someone like Yukari is bound to have bad habits rubbing off on Nyamo.

Next is Motoko, a self-righteous girl who disproves of what she deems to be immoral behavior (as she had voiced about the drinking contest yesterday). There is no doubt that she just might end up critiquing Nyamo of her friendship with Yukari. Nyamo will definitely feel uneasy over sleeping in the same room with Motoko, alone. Especially after having witnessed the kendoist disciplining Yukari.

"You will be spending the night with Kaolla, Nyamo-chan."

There is really no choice in the matter because for all of her mischievous hyperactivity, Kaolla is merely a lovable girl. Keitaro can only hope that Nyamo puts up with her qualities.

"Hurray! Hurray! I get a roommate! I get a roommate!" Kaolla cheered then jumps upon Nyamo and clings to her. Nyamo gasps and blushes with an uneasy smile as she holds onto Kaolla.

Kaolla jumps down, directly onto Keitaro's foot, causing him to lose his balance and stumble forward. Directly upon Nyamo and Yukari, whom he falls to the floor with as either of his arms are around either woman.

"What're you doing!?" Naru grated loudly as she kicks him in the face, making him fly to the end of the room where he hit the wall and leaves an impact mark. "Hitting on our house guests already!?"

"That goes on around here a lot," Tomo chuckled to Yukari and Nyamo.

"You certainly don't look like someone who does a lot of regular exercise, Naru-chan," Nyamo said as she stands, followed by Yukari.

"I do very little regular exercise," Naru admitted. "I just do a lot of book work for my studies."

"Now Nyamo on the other hand-" Yukari jumped in with a smarmy close-eyed grin while pointing at her.

"Go ahead! Make my day!" Nyamo growled slowly and menacingly as she grabs ahold of Yukari's shirt while turning her to get into her face. Nyamo's eyes are solid white and her teeth are serrated as a flaming aura envelopes her.

"People know immediately that you're a Phys. Ed. Teacher by your appearance alone," Yukari gloated as she takes on a lecturing appearance as she raises a forefinger in the air.

A fight immediately starts between Nyamo and Yukari. They roll all over the place, tugging on each other's cheeks before they begin using their fists and feet on each other, along with various holds. Nyamo might be stronger and more skilled, but Yukari is a lot more fierce.

The more hyperactive bonklers cheer on the fight as it goes all over the place, while the other Azugirls merely sweat drop with embarrassed expressions. The Hinata gang watch with bewilderment, all except Haruka who merely has a hopeless expression before stepping forward.

She grabs the fighting women by either of their shoulders, applying a pinch to their pressure points that cause them to stop their fighting and yelp with pain as they get hauled to their feet.

"The fight's over," Haruka merely said plainly yet severely while frowning.

Nighttime comes and everyone turns in for bed. It's nothing out of the ordinary for Yukari, but for Nyamo, it proves to be interesting.

"This is my room, Nyamo!" Kaolla squeaked as she opens the door and pulls Nyamo along by the arm.

Upon entering, Nyamo gapes at the jungle surrounding. Complete with sounds that one would hear in a jungle. Even the interior is hot and humid like a jungle.

"I-It's . . . n-nice, Kaolla-chan," she said apprehensively while looking around at something that is not suppose to exist within a simple room.

"Your bed is over here!" Kaolla said as she pulls Nyamo along.

It's a futon, complete with sheets and pillow.

"Where are you sleeping?" Nyamo asked as she looks around.

"I usually sleep in the trees!"

"Okay," she drawled with a sarcastic look of dots and lines for eyes.

They get ready for bed, with Nyamo slipping underneath the bed sheets and Kaolla climbing up into a tree. Nyamo watches her in her attempt to get to sleep.

_Like a little monkey_, she thought affectionately.

That next morning while Yukari is awakened normally, Nyamo is awakened by anything but normally.

"Nyamo, wake up!" Kaolla called.

Nyamo opens her eyes and receives a fright as Kaolla's smiling face is just an inch away from her own while hanging upside down over Nyamo.

"K-Kaolla-chan!" She chided in a surprised tone. "M-Must you do that!?"

"It got you up, didn't it?" Kaolla squeaked as she leaps down into the bed to straddle Nyamo and latch onto her.

"I guess it did," Nyamo answered, then pushes Kaolla off before getting up to dress.

Down at the breakfast table, Motoko gives Yukari a momentary glare. Yukari in turn notices and shivers as if feeling a chill, but her eyes are wide with fright.

"I am assuming that you will be driving the car today, Kurosawa-sensai?" Motoko asked in a frosty tone.

"Yes, I will."

"Good. And I am also assuming that you, Tanizaki Yukari-sensai, will be getting driving lessons?" Again in that frosty tone, but with an even frostier glare to match.

"Ah, yeah, yeah, certainly!" Yukari answered an uneasy close-eyed smile as she holds up both of her hands to make a pushing motion at Motoko.

After breakfast, everyone goes to see Yukari and Nyamo off. They say their goodbyes, with a hug from Haruka, and more from each of the Azugirls; plus one from Kaolla as she gives them each a hug as well.

"Take care, girls," Nyamo said as she stands at the driver door, before elbowing and glaring at Yukari at her side.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Yukari answered half-heartedly as she waves to them also, before getting in on the front passenger's side.

Nyamo gets in and starts the car engine and they drive off. With Nyamo now at the wheel, they leave the sensible way. Everyone stops waving once they are gone.

"Yukari won't take your advice at all, Motoko-chan," Tomo said to her.

Motoko merely glances at her with a sarcastic whatever expression, and turns to go back inside, along with everyone else.


	9. Another Visitor and New Stirrings

The day is sunny and clear as a girl stands at the threshold of Hinata City, looking up at the Hinata Sou just off in the distance. She feels nervous about going up there, but wanted to have this over with. Perhaps, she might even get to spend a few days there too. Taking a deep breath, she begins walking toward the Hinata Sou, hoping to keep her courage.

* * *

The Azu and Hinata gang wait around outside of a room together.

"You almost ready in there, Chiyo-chan?" Tomo called.

"Yes," she called back. The doors slides apart with the help of Kaolla and Sarah. There stands Chiyo-chan in the infamously cute penguin suit. It still fits her and she still radiates the cuteness.

The Azugang react like they did before and the Hinata gang also react intently, with Kitsune and Mutsumi's eyes going wide. Motoko blushes intently with gnashed teeth. Haruka still has a deadpan expression, but her cigarette drops out of her mouth. Even Sarah and Kaolla are mystified by the aura Chiyo-chan is giving off.

"So cute!" Everyone intoned as one.

"Do your penguin exercises!" Tomo shouted ardently.

"Um, okay," Chiyo-chan said with uncertainty. Then begins repeatedly stretching her arms first in one direction, then the other. But when she begins stretching backward, she ends up falling backward.

"Oh no, I tripped and fell again!" she squeaked while shaking her arms and feet rapidly in the air.

The gang now have mystified glazed over looks. Mutsumi suddenly faints from the cuteness overload, falling face down right into Keitaro's groin. His eyes go wide as his face turns red. Naru slugs him in the jaw, sending him flying into Tomo, now causing his face to be planted face down into her crotch too.

"Gah, he's coming onto me!" Tomo yelled.

"What are you doing!?" Naru yelled as she grabs Keitaro by the hair of his head and punches his head into the floorboards, causing them to break. Tomo bellows with laughter as she doubles over, clutching at her stomach as she lies on the floor while tears fly from her eyes.

"Tomo, you ass, don't go making up fibs!" Yomi grated as she slaps her across the head.

"But it was such a beautiful setup!" Tomo squealed.

After everything calms down, everyone turns their attention back to Chiyo-chan once again as she is being helped back up by Kaolla and Sarah.

"Hey, Sarah, why don't you put it on?" Tomo asked eagerly.

"That'll definitely be cute," Kagura added with approval.

Sakaki gets the mental image of Sarah wearing the penguin suit and immediately blushes while shutting her eyes tightly and presses her hands to her face in the attempt to hide her smile. She then leans forward and shivers.

Mutsumi and Osaka look intently into her face.

"Are you feeling okay, Sakaki-chan?" Mutsumi asked.

"Are you cold?" Osaka asked.

"Okay, fine," Sarah sighed as she got their attention. "I'll put it on."

The doors close and everyone wait as they hear rustling from behind them.

"I bet she's gonna outdo Chiyo-chan in cuteness!" Kagura stated.

"That may be a hard act to pull off," Shinobu said. "Chiyo-chan looked super cute up there."

"Well, can't argue with you there," Kagura agreed.

Everyone waits as they hear more rustling and fumbling from behind those doors. Pretty soon, Kaolla and Chiyo-chan squeeze out through a small opening they made before closing the doors once again. They have matching strained smiles with closed eyes as they sweat drop and shake while regarding the audience.

"Are we all gonna go into cuteness shock!?" Tomo gasped with pin-pricked pupils as she shoots straight up onto her feet.

"Eh, s-see for yourselves," Chiyo-chan answered uneasily.

She and Kaolla part the doors to reveal Sarah, now wearing the penguin suit. Theoretically, Sarah is cuter than Chiyo-chan. But that is only upon first meeting her because after one gets to know her, her cuteness loses some of its luster. This is due to her thorny character. The cuteness of the penguin suit that should have augmented her natural cuteness now creates a conflicting aura about her.

"Well? How do I look?" Sarah asked curtly as she stands there with arms akimbo while scowling, further galvanizing that conflict. She also looks as if she wanted to add something further like, 'I'm a cute little penguin whose gonna put her foot up your ass.'

Osaka and Mutsumi merely stare at Sarah. Sakaki tries to hide her face as she keeps shivering all the more violently now while grunting from the effort. Haruka grins slightly as she chuckles. Motoko snickers and chuckles.

But everybody else had fallen over, hysterical with laughter.

"It . . . hurts . . . to laugh!" Tomo hollered between gales of laughter.

"Oh man!" Kitsune squealed. "You . . . look like . . . your . . . gonna charm . . . and terrorize people at the same time!"

"Killer cuteness!" Keitaro also exclaimed as the tears fly from his eyes. That is when an artifact comes flying at his head.

"That's it! Get me outta this thing!" Sarah yelled with annoyance and removes the head. Kaolla and Chiyo-chan help her with the rest.

After it's removal, everyone lie around for a moment and sighs.

"Well that was something unexpected," Yomi said as she wipes a corner of her eye.

"Expect the unexpected!" Tomo suddenly shouted as she immediately grabs Yomi by her wrists and tackles her to the floor, straddling her as she tries to pin her arms.

"Break my glasses and I'll break your face!" Yomi yelled as she struggles to get back up.

That is when Osaka reaches down and removes her glasses.

"Now they won't get broken," she said in an absent manner, as if trying to be helpful.

"Dog pile!" Sarah yelled as she runs toward them, now out of the suit and followed by Kaolla. They jumps upon them and an impromptu wrestling match takes place with Yomi the victim of much tickling and groping.

"Stop squeezing my breasts!" Yomi shouted through gales of laughter as she tries to push Tomo away, who is kneading them. But it is hard for her to be taken seriously.

"But they're so big and squishy!" Tomo yelled. "If not as big as either Mutsumi's, Kitsune's, or Sakaki's!"

Mutsumi merely stares blankly while Kitsune smirks proudly. But Sakaki blushes as her eyes turn into dots and sucks her chest in.

"Kaolla, keep your hand away from there!" Yomi shouted with hilarious outrage.

"I don't think so!" Kaolla squealed muscially as her hand goes lower, then finally into her groin, directly into the joint on either side of her genitalia. A place that is considered to be the most ticklish area on a person. Yomi screeches as her leg shoots out on a reflex. As if to prove not to be outdone, Sarah also does the same thing. Except she tries it by attempting to stick her hand down into Yomi's pants.

"Get your hand out of there you little pervert!" Yomi screeched in forced laughter.

Kagura, not wanting to feel left out, grabs Yomi's feet and wraps her arm around them to secure them and begins tickling them.

"Stop! Stop I can't take it anymore!" Yomi shouted through pained laughter. "Help! Somebody get them off!"

"Come on," Haruka said flatly as she pulls Tomo off. "You all had your fun. Now give Yomi-chan a break."

"Aw, but it was so much fun," Tomo pouted up at her.

"For you and them, maybe," Haruka added after letting go of Tomo.

Sakaki pulls Sarah off as well, followed by Naru with Kaolla. Kagura merely lets go upon seeing that the fun is over with. Yomi lies there on the floor groaning and hyperventilating with swirling eyes.

"C-Can't move," she moaned. "S-So sore and tired."

"At least you burned off a lot of fat!" Tomo announced.

"When I recover . . . I'm gonna deal a lotta pain to your skull," Yomi grunted with a frown and her eyes as dots.

"I'd like to see you try it," Tomo taunted.

And with that challenge, Yomi finally arises to announce the double chop at the moment of impact upon Tomo's cranium, causing Tomo to fall to the floor with swirling eyes this time.

"You're right," Tomo groaned. "You did deal a lotta pain to my skull."

That is when the greeting bell sounds to let them know that somebody is in the lobby. They all got and see who it is.

"Kaorin!?" Yomi stated.

"What're you doing here!?" Tomo interjected.

"I-I heard about you guys being here and decided to pay a visit," Kaorin said diminutively, her eyes lingering upon Sakaki for a little longer.

"An old friend of yours I take it?" Keitaro asked the Azugirls.

"I guess so," Kagura answered while rubbing the back of her head. "I mean she did go with us on our last summer trip before graduation."

"Hurray, hurray, another new friend!" Kaolla chanted excitedly as she jumps around Kaorin, who flinches with unease.

Keitaro then steps forward and greets Kaorin formally, introducing himself and the rest of the Hinata gang. When Motoko gets introduced the last of all, Kaorin notices that Motoko reminds her of Sakaki, if only in regards to her hair and height. Kaorin feels a twinge of something in her chest, almost like a warm pinch, causing her to blush slightly. Now that she remembers, it's that same sort of feeling she got when she first met Sakaki.

"Kaorin, is something wrong?" Sakaki asked her.

"Oh, uh, no, no, nothing's wrong really," Kaorin waved dismissively with an uneasy closed-eyed smile, trying to repress a brief sense of guilt. "I-It's just that I . . . I was just thinking if it m-might be possible for me to . . . spend a few days here, that's all."

"You'll have to share a room with someone," Keitaro said.

Kaorin feels her heart soar. She just might get to share a room with Sakaki.

"Motoko, how do you feel about sharing a room with Kaorin-chan?" Keitaro asked her.

Kaorin now feels conflicted. On one hand, she is disappointed that she will not get to share a room with Sakaki; yet on the other, she feels intrigued that she may get to share a room with this Motoko girl. Probably even get to know her a little better and. . . .

_What am I thinking!?_ Kaorin thought with bewilderment. _Sakaki-san is the only for me! She is the whole reason why I came up here!_

"Hey, what about me!?" Kitsune yelled indignantly. "I can be a roommate!"

"Not with all the junk you got in there," Keitaro answered dryly. "What with most of it being sake and other alcoholic bottles."

"Hmm, point taken," Kitsune said. "And besides, Kaorin-chan might like to room with someone she can feel a kinship with." As she mischievously perks an eye open at her.

Kaorin knows that she knows as a sweat drop comes down the side of her face and she gulps. She now expects Kitsune to blurt out what she doesn't want said.

"That and Kaolla and Aunty Haruka already had their turns with roommates," Keitaro said.

"Haruka," she said casually with a scowl as she plants her fist into the side of her nephew's face, causing him to fall over.

Right onto Kaorin, who squeals in surprise.

"Here it comes!" Tomo squealed with glee as she waves her arms excitedly.

"Hitting on a houseguest!?" Naru yelled as she kicks him in the head, sending him flying across the room and into the wall, leaving a large imprint. Tomo hollers with laughter.

Kaorin gapes with shock at the carnage that had just been unleashed.

"We were shocked at first, but you kinda get used to it after awhile," Yomi said to Kaorin dryly.

"So as I was saying Motoko," Keitaro suddenly said as he walks up to her while rubbing the back of his head. "How do you feel about sharing a room with Kaorin-chan?"

Motoko looks down at Kaorin passively, who in turn looks back up at her blinking innocently and even blushing slightly.

"Okay," Motoko answered simply.

Kaorin feels a conflicting sense of relief and disappointment. Why is she feeling this way about a girl she had only just met!? It's Sakaki that she came here to spend some time with, not this Aoyama Motoko! Yet Motoko appears to be every bit as majestic as Sakaki.

"Kaorin, you in there!?" Kagura called as she waves her hand in front of her face.

"Ah, I was just thinking, that's all!" Kaorin squeaked quickly.

"About what?" Tomo asked.

"About Kimura," Kaorin quickly lied, then just as quickly wishes that she didn't say that.

The Azugirls shudder with pained looks as they moan in one voice.

"Who's Kimura?" Naru asked.

They take turns telling them all about their former perverted high school teacher.

"What an utterly repulsive male!" Motoko stated crossly. "To have a beautiful wife and daughter while nursing a sick fetish for innocent young maidens whom he teaches! He is a disgrace to the teaching profession! And if I ever meet him, I will teach him not to have such a putrid lust!" Gripping the handle of her sword over that last sentence.

"Whoohoo, you go girl!" Tomo whooped, pumping her fist in the air. "I now wish he was here!"

Kaorin sees it right then and there that Motoko lacks the coolness that Sakaki possesses as she had just openly displayed her emotions. Oddly, it didn't bother her. If anything it seemed to arouse her, especially with the odd way that she spoke. It sounded so poetic.

Kaorin fights to suppress that hated desire. She doesn't want to be torn between two potential loves. Already she begins doubting if sharing a room with Motoko is such a good idea.

"Come, Kaorin-chan," Motoko said kindly. "Let us take your things to my room."

Kaorin once again blinks absently before falling in line with her and a floating feeling now in her stomach. Even Motoko's voice sounds so much like Sakaki-san's!

After being shown to the room and having her luggage placed there, Kaorin is next shown to the hot springs. As they undress, Kaorin keeps stealing glances at both Sakaki and Motoko. They are even built in the same manner, with Motoko having more tone to her physique. Seeing their now nude bodies nearly causes Kaorin to gasp from desire.

"What's the matter, Kaorin?" Kitsune asked her.

"I must've hit a cold spot on the floor," she lied once again.

But she can plainly see that Kitsune widened one eye slightly and give her that look. That, I know, look. Yet it's a brief look as Kitsune just as quickly reverts to her casual seemingly close-eyed look.

They all sit in the springs together. Kaorin coincidently in between Sakaki and Motoko, much to her internal delight as she feels like a filling in a sandwich of her desires.

"So Kaorin," Chiyo-chan asked, "what are you doing now?"

"I'm in Todai pursuing my Bachelor in Astronomy," she answered, thankful for the diversion or else they might catch on.

"I thought that you look familiar," Mutsumi mused. "I've seen you there before. Keitaro, Naru, and I are attending there too."

"Really, what are you pursuing?"

"Keitaro wants to pursue Archeology, but I'm not entirely sure what subject I want to pursue."

"Though I think that I'll pursue mathematics because I've always been very good at it," Naru commented.

"Speaking of Keitaro, is he going to be waltzing in here on us like he did the last time?" Tomo asked.

"He better not or else he's gonna get launched into orbit," Naru stated.

"You just saw her kick Keitaro across the room," Tomo exclaimed at Kaorin, "well she can punch him into orbit!"

"I recall reading somewhere before that this was originally an inn," Kaorin said. "So it might explain why he may just accidentally walk in on us."

"It used to be, but his grandmother turned it into a girl's-only dorm," Kitsune answered.

"His grandmother?" Kaorin answered.

"Yeah, she in fact willed the place to him before she went on her journeys," Kitsune continued.

"You'd figure that she'd look for a female relative to manage this place instead," Sakaki said. "But I guess she saw something in him that the rest did not."

Afterwards, they get out and dry off. Once again, Kaorin keeps stealing glaces at both Sakaki and Motoko. But more at Motoko now than at Sakaki.

Once again, Kaorin is distressed by this.


	10. Growing Affection

That evening after supper Kaorin is outside with Sakaki, Yomi, and Chiyo-chan up on the railing where the clothesline is.

"Who are you all paired up with as roommates?" Kaorin asked, wondering who Sakaki is paired up with, but wanting to cover her thoughts with that question.

"I'm paired up with Kagura," Chiyo-chan answered.

"I'm paired up with Shinobu," Yomi answered.

"I'm surprised that you didn't pair up with Tomo," Kaorin smirked.

"That would have been a nightmare," Yomi said dryly. "But not for Naru, whom she's pair up with. You just witnessed what Naru's like."

"I guess that makes Tomo behave herself," Kaorin said with a close-eyed humorous expression. "What about you, Sakaki-san? Who are you paired up with?" Anticipation building within her.

"Sarah-chan."

"Oh, that cute little blond-haired blue-eyed foreign girl," Kaorin said in a tone of relief with closed eyes. Her anticipation now melting away as Sarah is not a threat to her.

"She's a lot like Tomo," Yomi said dryly with a wry expression. "Tomo, Kaolla-chan, and Sarah-chan make a wonderful trio."

That is when Motoko arrives with her sword.

"Oh, are you a kendoist, Motoko-chan?" Kaorin asked intently as she takes notice of her sword.

"Yes, I am. I am the heir to the God's-Cry School."

"She mastered the art at the age of fifteen," Chiyo-chan told Kaorin.

"Wow, can you show us an example, Motoko-chan!?" Kaorin asked eagerly.

For a moment Motoko merely stands there as if to contemplate such a request. Given her reserved nature (or more accurately, a reserved nature that she tries hard to emulate), she is not one who likes to show off.

But to answer their question, she casually whips out her sword in a graceful arc and cleaves a leaf in two as it floats past her, all without looking nor changing her stance.

While Sakaki, Yomi, and Chiyo-chan clap politely, Kaorin is a little more enthusiastic with her own clapping.

"Oh wow, that was amazing!" Kaorin squealed as those warm feelings flow through her chest. Her affections toward Sakaki now get a little dimmer while her affections toward Motoko get a little brighter, whom she now sees can actually be cool.

"Oh, Motoko-sempai, that was amazing!" A girl's voice squealed from down over the steps. Motoko looks behind herself and watches as Sachiyo, Emi, and Kikuko come up the steps. Her self-proclaimed fanclub. The Azugirls also look to see them as well. They met them before.

"What brings you here?" Motoko asked them, feeling annoyed at their presence since they always hang around her like mosquitoes. At times, she wished that they just left her alone.

"Why else other than to see the great Aoyama Motoko work out?" Sachiyo answered.

Kaorin suddenly feels as if she had been stabbed through the heart with a white-hot knife. Those girls definitely are affectionate toward her. She suddenly feels ashamed and confused over her feelings toward Motoko, a girl who is still practically a stranger toward her.

"Don't you three have anything better to do?" Motoko sighed.

Kaorin smiled inwardly as she feels a sense of relief. She can clearly see that Motoko is annoyed with their presence. This means that she doesn't have any feelings toward them, so there is a possibility. . . .

Wait, what made her think that Motoko might feel that way? Or even Sakaki for that matter? No! She didn't want to think of that possibility. Yet that suspicion made her feel a stab of loss.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Motoko groaning with frustration. She turns away from the others as she faces outward over the balcony, sword drawn and held high in the air. She begins her rhythmic overhead slashes as her sword swishes through the air, part of her routine.

"Ahh, so graceful and strong!" Kikuko sighed with awe.

"Yes, she is!" Kaorin agreed with absent-minded enthusiasm. Only to turn red and sweat drop as her eyes go as pinpricks.

"You agree too, don't you!" Emi said excitedly.

"Ah, I guess so," Kaorin admitted sheepishly, who then introduces herself to them.

As the sun sets, casting red and orange over the western mountain range, it is now time for Motoko to call it quits. That also makes it time for her fanclub to go home, much to Motoko and Kaorin's relief.

As Kaorin walks down a hallway alone, a door alongside her suddenly slides open to reveal Kitsune's room with the resident fox herself standing there.

"Hey, Kaorin-chan, what's up?" she asked casually as she leans against her doorframe.

"Oh, hello, Kitsune-chan, nothing really."

"Come on in, there's something that I wish to talk to you about."

Kaorin now feels uneasy. Kitsune had given her that look of knowing something about her earlier today.

"Come on, I'm not gonna bite," Kitsune said jovially as she waves her inside.

Kaorin sighs deeply then goes into her room. The smell of alcohol hits her as the whole room reeks of it from the dozens of alcoholic bottles in there, mostly of sake. Now she fully understands why she got put up with Motoko and not Kitsune.

"What do you want?" Kaorin asked as she sits cross-legged on the floor.

"Oh nothing much," she answered as she sits across from Kaorin while giving her that sly look as she widens one eye. "Clarity perhaps?"

"Clarity?"

"Yes, clarity. Clarity over the issue of your preferences."

"P-Preferences?" As Kaorin's voice cracked slightly while a tiny sweat drop streaks the side of her face.

"Yes," Kitsune continued with that mischievous look. "Preference over . . . some sake?" As she quickly whips out a bottle.

"Just a small glass please," Kaorin answered with relief as she glances upward with dot eyes.

Kitsune fills a small glass and hands it to Kaorin, who takes a swig. She really didn't drink alcohol, but due to the honorifics of their culture, she did whenever it got presented to her. If only one glass. She might live the rest of her life without ever drinking the stuff.

"There's also the issue of your lust for Sakaki and Motoko," Kitsune then said casually.

Kaorin spits the sake out in a stream then gapes at Kitsune with her eyes now hidden in a shadow as her face is blood red and her mouth is hanging open.

"It's no good to deny it, deary," as Kitsune continued in that humorous casual manner, "I saw it on your face whenever you looked at them. Heard it in your tone too. You're a lesbian, aren't ya?"

Kaorin tries to speak but cannot. Her whole appearance is like the time back in high school when she started Grade Eleven as she picked flowers over wondering if Sakaki loved her or not.

"Don't worry, I won't give you away," Kitsune said assuredly as she clasps her shoulder.

Kaorin breathes a sigh of relief as her expression takes on such relief.

"Ah, y-yes," she finally answered. "I am."

All during high school, Kaorin had never once considered herself a homosexual, despite her feelings toward Sakaki. But all of that changed shortly after graduation. One day, she came upon a large crowd of people in downtown Tokyo, which turned out to be a Gay Pride parade. It was at that moment when she had her epiphany. She came to the conclusion that not only did boys truly mean nothing to her, but if Sakaki had never existed in the first place, she still might have ended up developing a crush toward some other girl instead. Furtherover, her own feelings toward her own gender got proven to her each and every day whenever she saw females who reminded her of Sakaki. For a short while, it did bother her. Yet she was able to get over it and accept herself for what she had always been, but never saw it before.

"And you came here because of Sakaki-chan, didn't you?" Kitsune probed.

"Y-Yes," Kaorin answered sheepishly.

"How does she feel about it?"

"Sh-She doesn't know yet."

"Oh," Kitsune mused with a subtle and mischievous surprise. "Unrequited love. So when are you going to tell her?"

"I . . . I don't think I can," Kaorin gasped as she shivers with her eyes shut tightly.

"Well now this really puts you in a pickle," Kitsune remarked with a quirk of her eyebrow as she rubs her chin with her thumb and forefinger. "You have a crush on a girl who has remained oblivious about it, even to this day. Are you afraid that she will tell you that she's straight? Or worse, that she is like you but with her sights set on another girl perhaps?"

"I . . . I don't know if I can," Kaorin quaked.

"Well," Kitsune said as she leaned back. "The worst thing she can do to you is say no. That can be bad enough but at least you'll know your answer. Otherwise you'll live out the rest of your life wondering if she could have returned your affections or not. And that will gnaw on you."

"Easy for you to say, you're not a lesbian," Kaorin said sorely with an annoyed dot-eyed expression.

"I don't have to be," as Kitsune held up her hands defensively. "Your situation can apply with me and another man."

"Well, you do have a point," Kaorin sighed. "But . . . this is more serious for me than if I had been straight and in love with another man. This isn't a Western country, so being a homosexual is still very much a stigma. Ironic, when taking all of that yaoi and yuri stuff into consideration."

"Still," Kitsune trailed off. "You could drop some subtle hint to her of your feelings toward her somehow."

"And how do you propose I do that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Innuendos perhaps?"

"Whatever," as Kaorin stood. "Anyway, thanks for the frank-hearted discussion, but it's getting late and I wish to go to bed now."

"Goodnight," Kitsune said.

Kaorin walked to Motoko's room. She takes a deep breath and exhales before sliding open the door and entering. Two futons are set up across from each other near either wall. Traditional Japanese weapons and a samurai armor are at the back of the room, making the room look more like a dojo rather than a normal dorm room. A silk screen is off to one side and the silhouette of Motoko can be seen as she is removing her clothing. For a moment, all Kaorin can do is stare at her outline. Even in the silhouette, she can make out her tall sleek, yet toned and well-proportioned body. And yet she managed to be so graceful and feminine in her movements.

Kaorin feels that warm and creamy feeling in her chest as it seems to go two ways. One way goes up to her mouth as it causes a warm tingle in her tongue. The other way goes down to her stomach, where she feels a radiant heat as it continues dropping ever lower, right down into her loins where she feels a pleasant tingle there. This one stronger as it made her gasp. Her heart starts beating all the harder as she feels a rush.

"Kaorin-chan," Motoko called out in a casual tone. "Is something wrong? I sense a growing turmoil within you."

"Oh, uh, it's n-nothing!" Kaorin answered, trying to sound assured. Her face blushing madly. "I-It's just that I feel a little giddy about spending the night here, that's all. What with this place now being a girl's-only dorm and the manager being a man."

Damn, but she sounds a lot like Sakaki-san! Kaorin thought.

"Urashima Keitaro will not be bothering you with us around," Motoko said as she emerges from behind the silk parting. She is now dressed in a silk white robe with prints of roses just above her breasts. She looks more serene now, yet with a hardness in her eyes over mentioning her manager.

"He seems like a nice trustworthy guy," Kaorin said.

"Males are anything but trustworthy, especially when around us maidens," Motoko said in a flat somber tone as she walks over to her futon. "They tend to become overwhelmed with lust and end up trying to seduce us. Or worse, rape us."

"I take it that you don't like guys then?" A twinge of hope in her now, even if she did feel a twinge of guilt as well. She herself may be a lesbian, but that didn't make her a man-hater, even if Kimura had hounded her back in high school while the boys all respected him.

"Only those who follow maidens around like packs of dogs scenting a female in heat," Motoko answered. "Unfortunately that describes most of them. Let us just get ready for bed, Kaorin-chan."

"Actually, I'd rather be called, Kaori," she answered as she too begins getting ready for bed.

"Of course, the N at the end of your name was given in childish affection. You are a woman now, so you will want to be called as a woman, Kaori-chan."

"Th-Thank you, Motoko-chan."

Kaorin walks up to Sakaki upon noticing that she is alone. Her conversation with Kitsune still fresh in her mind.

"S-Sakaki-san?" She asked diminutively.

"What is it, Kaorin?"

Kaorin thought seriously about what Kitsune had told her last night. The worst thing Sakaki will do is just refuse her. There is a very strong possibility that Sakaki is straight and will refuse her solely on the basis of not being so much as bisexual, let alone a lesbian. This might make it more tolerable. And yet. . . . and yet there is a possibility that she might be a lesbian like herself, but refuse her anyway. That can prove outright devastating.

But not knowing is the most intolerable of all.

"I love you!" Kaorin blurted out.

Sakaki takes on a slightly somber look as her eyes widen a little.

"Explain?" She then asked curiously.

"I-I fell in love with you back in high school," Kaorin answered as her voice cracked and her eyes ripple with tears. "It started in Grade Ten."

"I see," Sakaki answered gently.

"I-I'm sorry," Kaorin sobbed. "I should have told you back then! But I was too afraid!"

"It's okay," Sakaki whispered gently as she strokes the side of Kaorin's face. "I'm glad you told me anyway. Because I've always found you to be a cute girl."

"Wha-What!?" As her eyes wided and her heart skips a beat as a weight flies from her shoulders.

"I think that it's best if I expressed it this way." And Sakaki leans in to kiss her on her lips. Kaorin's eyes go wide and feels herself surrounded by a field of yellow flowers. A bell rises behind her and rings, then a rainbow shoots up.

Sakaki breaks away with a warm smile.

"Kaorin," she whispered softly.

"Please call me Kaori, without the N."

"Okay, Kaori. And please drop the san from my name."

They fall down together upon the ground and kiss some more. They caress and neck as Kaorin is atop of Sakaki and their passions grow ever hotter.

Sakaki holds Kaorin up and away from herself at arms' length with a different look now. Her eyes are shaded and her mouth is wide open as choking sounds are now coming out.

"Sakaki, what's wrong!?" Kaorin gasped.

But Sakaki keeps that same expression and pose as she continues to make ever so faint choking sounds. She starts looking different too, as it also starts to grow ever darker. Come to think of it, didn't she just. . . .?

"M-Motoko-chan!?" Kaorin rasped as her eyes glaze over with fright after getting struck by the sledgehammer of reality.


	11. Disclosure

**The next bit has some Yuri action.**

* * *

_Motoko awakens to somebody getting underneath the covers with her and snuggling into her back. For an instance she believes them to be an intruder, only she feels no danger and quickly realizes that it's just Kaorin. She's about to object when. . . ._

"_Sakaki," Kaorin crooned softly and hollowly, as if in a trance as she continues snuggling into Motoko._

_The sensation struck Motoko like a lightening bolt. It feels so sensuous as waves of hot pleasure ripple through her body and her eyes go wide as they gloss over with a sheen. Her mouth is open in silent shock. Lines cross her face as her cheeks turn red._

"_Sakaki," Kaorin crooned softly and hollowly once again. Her hot breath softly blowing against Motoko's neck as her hands now snake around her torso to clasp her breasts, rubbing her nipples gently._

_Motoko feels a stronger stab of pleasure coursing through her. It feels as if her blood has been turned into boiling honey. A barely audible squeak of anguish comes out of her wide-open mouth as her eyes turn into dots this time. She wanted to stop this so badly, and yet it feels so wonderful._

_The pleasure continues building as her discipline starts melting away. She needed to maintain that discipline or she might end up kissing her chastity goodbye. And with her chastity gone, she won't be able to attain that level of power to be the strongest kendoist possible._

_She turns over to push Kaorin away and at the same time wake her up, but Kaorin's mouth goes against her mouth. In that instance, Kaorin's tongue snakes gracefully into it to touch tongues with her. Kaorin continues snuggling into Motoko as if trying to become a part of her._

_Motoko's eyes seem to disappear completely as sweat rolls down her face. Her discipline continues to melt away and her lust begins getting ever stronger. She needed to do something. Just not too soon though._

_Kaorin finally breaks away with a loud smooch._

"_Sakaki," she droned. "I love you."_

_Next, Kaorin begins caressing Motoko's chin, working her way down to her neck which she begins to gently suckle and lick. Motoko feels her discipline hanging by a thread now as her desire gets kicked up ever further now. Her eyes are now swirls. This is worse than the time she watched Kitsune rubbing herself against Naru after getting her all wet down at Todai. It was on that day when they had to raise money for the rent by doing odd jobs._

_She knows that her breasts will be next. It's now or never and with one firm thrust of willpower, she pushes Kaorin away from herself to hold her up in midair. It is taking all of her willpower to prevent herself from wanting to cuddle Kaorin._

_Kaorin finally stops and remains silent for a moment. With there being enough light in the room from the moon outside, Motoko can see her expression beginning to change to one of confusion. Then finally of bewilderment as Kaorin speaks her name._

Motoko keeps holding Kaorin up and away from herself. Both now sharing that same open-mouthed eyeless blushing as only strangled groans come out of their mouths. They remain this way for awhile before Kaorin darts away from Motoko and keeps backing up until her back hits the wall. They remain frozen in shock for a moment as they keep staring back at each other with bewilderment.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" Kaorin finally responded with a squeak as she falls forward onto her hands and knees, head bowing low. "I-I am so sorry! I-I was sleepwalking! F-Forgive me!"

Motoko finally reigns in her stormy emotions before she is able to answer her back.

"L-Let's just return to sleep," she said in a huff as she lies back. "In our own futons."

Kaorin does so and they both lie there trying to fall asleep once again. That proves to be a very difficult thing to do as Kaorin keeps fearing that if she falls asleep again, she might end up sleepwalking once again to molest Motoko, who in turn fears the same thing from Kaorin.

"So you have a fondness for female companionship and none for male ones," Motoko finally said in the darkness without sitting up.

"I-If you mean that I'm a lesbian, then yes," Kaorin answered back.

"And you came up here because of your desire for Sakaki-chan. Because that is who you were speaking of as you were acting out in your sleep."

"Y-Yes . . . Except n-now . . . ," as the words began to catch in Kaorin's throat, "you have entered into the equation."

Motoko is silent for a moment.

"I see," she finally answered matter-of-factly.

"I never meant for it to happen," Kaorin quavered as she sits up this time, "it just happened."

"I do not think that Sakaki-chan will be upset with you if she is truly devoted to you."

"She doesn't know about my feelings for her because I've never told her!"

"Then when are you going to tell her?"

"I-I don't know if I can! She might hate me for it! Then there's the possibility that she might be that way, but have feelings for some other girl instead of me!"

"The worst thing that she can do to you is to refuse your affections, just like I have to." There is a moment of silence. "Although I wish that I did not have to." A touch of sadness in her tone.

"M-Motoko-chan!" Kaorin rasped as she leans forward intently, her heart skips a beat and her expression is one of shock as her eyes glaze over as such. "A-Are you saying that y-you're a lesbian too!?"

Once again, Motoko is silent as she seriously mulls over that question. "I think that the best answer for me to give you is that males also take a part of my desire, when it be best that only females should take it instead."

"Then what you're saying is that you're bisexual."

"Explain the meaning of that word."

"It means to be sexually attracted to both males and females."

"Yes, that's it!" Motoko said in a soft eureka tone as she sits up. A void in her knowledge about herself is now filled. "I am . . . bisexual!"

"W-Well, I'm happy for you that you finally figured out what you are," Kaorin sighed, then on a more somber note. "B-But just then you implied that you wished that you didn't have to refuse me. What do you mean by that?"

"It means that I could have returned your affections."

"Since you are implying that we could've been girlfriends . . . Then maybe . . . just maybe we can give each other . . . you know. It's okay if you still like guys too."

"No, we cannot," Motoko said coldly. "You do not understand, Kaori-chan. The reason that I cannot return your affections have to do with my future. I am going to inherit the leadership of the God's-Cry School. And the rules clearly state that all of those who are to inherit it must remain pure for the rest of their lives. Originally, my sister would have inherited it, but she refused by falling in love with a male and getting married. So it fell onto me next. And I do want to inherit it."

"And when you say, pure, you really mean, celibate, of course," Kaorin added hopelessly.

"Yes."

"And you're a follower of the code of the samurai?"

"Yes, that I am."

"Part of which means that you cannot deceive yourself."

"No, I cannot, or else I will be forced to take my own life," a tone of lost opportunity now in Motoko's voice. "I am sorry that it has to be this way, Kaori-chan. You are a pretty woman."

"I-It's okay," Kaorin sighed. "I-I should be used to this by now."

"If neither I nor Sakaki-chan, then there is always some other female out there who just might return your affections."

"What are the odds of that?"

"There's always hope," as Motoko lies back down once again. "Goodnight, Kaori-chan."

"Goodnight, Motoko-chan. And one more thing, I take it no one else knows of your sexual preferences?"

"No, they do not."

"Then don't worry because they won't hear it from me."

"Thank you."

The rest of the night passes without incident as both of them finally fall asleep. The next morning everyone is up and down at the breakfast table. Naturally, Kaorin sits next to Sakaki. Kaorin knows that she must tell her, and the sooner, the better.

"S-Sakaki," she said. "There is something that I wish to discuss with you when you have time."

"That will have to be later on today after I get back from college," Sakaki answered.

"Okay," Kaorin answered neutrally. Or at least tried to remain neutral. She glances over at Motoko, who merely glances back lazily. Then to Kitsune, who has one eye opened a little wider at her.

"Can't you tell her here right now?" Tomo piped up.

"It only concerns Sakaki, Tomo," Kaorin said as she waved her hand dismissively.

"Aww, come on! We wanna know!" Kaolla suddenly squealed.

"Yeah!" Sarah added loudly.

"Silence!" Motoko commanded. "When a person says they want to tell another person something later on, it means that nobody else is to know! So leave her be!"

That quieted them down. They finish their meal and go about their duties for the rest of the day.

That is when Kaorin gives a blood-chilling scream that carries throughout the dorm. Everyone rushes outside the main entrance where her screaming came from. Upon arrival, they see the reason for her screaming.

"Crap, it's Kimura!" Tomo shouted with a look of horror as they now stare at the slack-jawed gangly high school teacher.

"What're you doing here!?" Kaorin screeched furiously at him.

That is when he looks over to the combined Azu and Hinata gang, causing the Azugirls to flinch under his opagued glasses gaze. Many of the Hinata females also feel uncomfortable under his gaze as well.

"Hello, Mutsumi-chan," Kimura said casually.

"Hello, Kimura-san," she said back casually.

"You two know each other!?" Yomi exclaimed at her.

"Oh my, oh yes, he's married to my sister."

The Azugirls eyes turn into dots as crickets silently chirp in the background. All except for Osaka who continues to stare blankly.

"What does that mean?" The airhead finally asked.

"It means Kimura's her brother-in-law, you blockhead!" Tomo immediately answered angrily as she thrusts a fist into the air while yelling into her face.

"Oh," Osaka finally answered with hazy wonderment.

"So you came to see Mutsumi-chan instead?" Kaorin asked suspiciously, knowing Kimura's obsession over her.

"That and to see you, my darling cutiepie."

"All right, that's it!" Kaorin yelled raucously with an angry expression as she waves her fists into the air, before shaking her fist at Kimura. "Now you listen up and listen well, you friggin pervert! I am a lesbian! You understand!? A lez-bee-an! I like girls and only girls! Always have and always will! Now get lost!"

Kaorin continues hyperventilating through gnashed teeth with that angry expression. That is when what she had said suddenly hits her full force and makes a strangling yell as her mouth goes wide open and her eyes are now hidden in shadow. Sweat drops appear on her head. She slowly turns her head to the others behind her as her neck makes a creaking sound. The residents mostly have surprised or curious looks.

"So much for innuendos," Kitsune said under her breath with a smirk.

As for Kimura, he merely stares down at her silently for a moment with that ever slack jaw of his. Crickets chirp in the background.

"Can I still watch you doing it with another girl!?" He suddenly shouted excitedly as he bends over to be in her face.

"Enough!" Motoko yelled as she unsheathes her katana while pushing past Kaorin and advancing on Kimura. "You have a wife and daughter, and yet you dare to lust after innocent maidens for whom you teach!? You are a disgrace to the teaching profession! You will leave these premises, now!" And she raises her sword to make an announcement.

"God's-Cry Technique: Dragon Typhoon!"

Then swings her katana in a circular arc at Kimura, causing a coil of energy in the form of a dragon to come flying out at him and carry him off. He flies over the town and becomes a star blip.

"Whohoo! That was amazing!" Tomo yelled.

"Yeah!" Kagura added eagerly. "You sure threw that pervert outta here!"

"Now then, Kaorin," Tomo next said slyly to her. "What's this about you being a lesbian?"

Kaorin is silent for a moment as she blushes slightly. She next takes a deep breath and sighed.

"Yes, Tomo. I am," she answered flatly.

"What's a lesbian?" Sarah asked as she looks around at the others.

"Does it taste good?" Kaolla interjected, causing the older ones to wince over that remark with closed eyes and ripply mouths.

"You'll understand when you're older," Kitsune answered dryly.

"Kaorin, does this mean what I think it means!?" Sakaki gasped with a bewildered look.

But all Kaorin can do is look away with a shamed look.

"Well," Sakaki then said on a more mellower note, "be that as it may, this will have to be discussed later on when we return from college."

"Very well," Kaorin said softly.

The entire day seemed to conflict with Kaorin. On one hand, it seemed to drag itself out as she wanted to resolve this issue with Sakaki once and for all; on the other, it seemed to fly on a wing as she wanted to avoid that issue with Sakaki.

However she feels, the day will inevitably pass.


	12. Heart Laid Bare

The time finally comes when everyone returns to the Hinata Sou. Kaorin feels as if the residence had suddenly taken on a tomb-like appearance to her. Along the way, Tomo and Yomi fall in step with her. Especially Tomo as she seemed to float in alongside Kaorin with a mischievous leer as her eyes are dots and her brows are prominent.

"What do you want, Tomo?" Kaorin sighed flatly as she looks upward with glazed dots for eyes, knowing perfectly well that sexual innuendos are going to be coming her way now.

"Just thinking, that's all," Tomo answered smarmily. "It was such a pity that you didn't get to go diving with us in Okinawa. Who knows? Sakaki might have went with you for clams."

Yomi groans with disgust as she closes her eyes and lowers her head and plants her hand against her forehead.

"I find it very interesting that you're the only one making comments about my lesbianism, Tomo," Kaorin smirked back with a dot-eyed expression. "It's almost as if . . . you seem to have an interest in it."

"She's right, Tomo," Yomi quirked an eyebrow at her. "Is there something about you that we should know, especially me?"

"Are you implying that I might be a lesbian?" Tomo answered in mock offence.

"Well?" Kaorin continued to drill as she leens closer to her with a leer. "Are you?"

Tomo blinks at her for a few moments before looking upward while scratching one of her cheeks as if to ponder that question.

"Actually," she began slowly, "I've sometimes wondered what it'd be like?"

"Whoa, you serious!?" Yomi suddenly stated as she pulls back with her glasses frosted over.

"I think that I'd have to get a little drunk beforehand. You know, psyche myself up for it? And of course, it'd have to be with you." As she puts her arm around Yomi.

"Forget it!" Yomi stated as she shoves Tomo away. "Ask Kaorin to help you there! Who knows, you two might make a cute couple!"

"That's if I don't murder her first, Yomi," Kaorin grumbled. "And besides, Tomo's not my type." Adding that part with a leer at the wildcat.

"Then can I be your type!?" Kaolla suddenly announced as she clasps onto Kaorin seeming from out of nowhere, scaring her half to death.

"You're too young for me!" Kaorin answered with bewilderment. "And I doubt you even know what I'm talking about."

"Actually, I did an Internet search for lesbian during lunchtime at school, and came up with a whole bunch of sights about it! I was browsing through one of them before the librarian found out and got really angry at me!"

"Why does that not surprise me?" Yomi said dryly.

"School Internet has cyberguards against searching for stuff like that," Tomo said.

"Oh, but I disabled them first!" Kaolla chimed with a close-eyed smile.

"Saw that one coming too," Yomi answered dryly.

"Sakaki is Kaorin's type, Kaolla," Tomo ribbed.

"Then does that mean Motoko is her type too?" Kaolla asked innocently as she looks upward while pressing her finger against her own cheek.

"Hey, that's right!" Tomo proclaimed. "Motoko does resemble Sakaki somewhat! And Kaorin does get to share a room with her! So what about it, Kaorin? Did you two-?"

"No, we didn't Tomo!" as Kaorin cut her off loudly. "Because she cannot feel that way about me! I asked her and she told me so! God, but you are so annoying! How do you put up with her, Yomi?"

"I have no idea how I do it, but I just do."

That is when Sakaki approaches them, making Kaorin feel as if she is the hangman.

"H-Hello, Sakaki," Kaorin said nervously.

Sakaki mutters hello back.

"So when do you want to talk about . . . it?" Kaorin ventured.

"Later on tonight, before we go to bed."

"Oooh, I bet Kaorin's looking forward to that," Tomo snickered.

"Will you shut the hell up with the innuendos!" Kaorin exploded at her in the same manner back when she demanded that she deliver those pictures of herself with Sakaki.

Once inside, everyone goes to do their own thing until suppertime. When everyone gets seated at the table, Shinobu comes out of the kitchen, along with Chiyo-chan, as they both wheel a cart with pots of curry udon and meso soup, along with a large bowl full of. . . .

". . . clams for anyone who wishes to add one to their soup," Chiyo-chan announced.

"Yomi, get ready to punch Tomo in the mouth!" Kaorin quickly announced with an angry face as she shoots up out of her seat while pointing at her.

"Oh that I will," Yomi answered gladly while cracking her knuckles as she leers hard at Tomo with dotted eyes, who sits alongside her.

Everyone else blinks at them with wonderment, wondering what that was all about.

"Maybe if Kaorin took her bowl of soup and asked Sakaki-" Tomo began slyly. Only to be silenced when her mouth is greeted by Yomi's fist, knocking her off the chair.

Later that night, as everyone gets ready for bed, Kaorin comes by Sakaki's room. She knocks and Sarah answers it.

"Oh, yes, hold on there a minute," Sakaki called past her as she sets her futon out. Maya is lying nearby.

"Is this where you wish to discuss . . . ah . . . ?" Kaorin trailed off as she looks at Sarah.

"We'll go down in the main room," Sakaki said as she rose. "I'll be back later, Sarah-chan." As she strokes her hair upon passing her.

"I wish I knew what was going on," Sarah pouted.

"You'll understand when your a little older," Sakaki answered, then closes the door.

Together, Sakaki and Kaorin walk down to the living room. Kaorin feels as if she is being led to her execution. They finally reach the area where they are now alone together and sit upon a sofa. For a second there is an uneasy silence between the two as they just stare at each other.

"I might as well get this conversation going," Sakaki finally said. "You have a crush on me, don't you? And you've had it since you first met me back in high school."

"Y-Yes, that's true," Kaorin answered meekly.

"Why me?" Sakaki probed curiously but gently. "What is it about me that drew your attention? What did I ever do to draw your attention toward me?"

"Y-You seem so . . . c-cool."

Sakaki sighs softly as she looks away momentarily. "Funny, I've often heard that word used a lot. Cool. Something that Westerners originally used for another meaning, other than moderately cold. Does that mean you believe me to be moderately cold?"

"What I actually mean to say is that you don't get all excitable. I cannot remember you ever getting emotional. When we went to Chiyo-chan's Summer House together with Yukari, Tomo and Yukari were whooping up a storm as Yukari drove as if she had a deathwish. I was screaming as if I were about to die. But you . . . you didn't make a sound. You remained so calm. I like that. Your coolness is also further complemented by being tall and strong-looking. Your voice is strong, yet soft. Your face is serenely beautiful, framed by long flowing hair, and you have eyes that look as if a person might drown in them."

"I see," Sakaki said, if somewhat uneasily. "But I've never liked it. I often wished to be like Chiyo-chan: small and cute."

"You do!? Even when she always wished that she was like you!?"

"Yes," Sakaki answered as she looks at her with a pained look in her eyes. "I was always too tall for my age. Worse, I hit puberty too soon because my breasts started growing out before I turned eleven. From then on, I always felt so awkward with my body. I still do. Whenever someone compliments me on my appearance, I cannot help but to feel ashamed. Almost as if my body is a dirty thing."

"Who'd ever thought that you can be so vulnerable!?" Kaorin said with silent awe.

Sakaki smiles sadly at her. "I guess that kinda destroys the image that you've cultivated about me."

"I do understand more clearly now."

"I notice that Motoko is a bit like me. What about her?"

"While that much is true, the only difference is that she's more emotional than you. Yet I still almost fell in love with her. I told her of my feelings, but she told me that she couldn't feel that way about me."

"Nor can I," Sakaki finally answered.

"Not for any girl?" Kaorin quickly asked, now wishing that she didn't ask that. But if she didn't want that nagging suspicion, it had to be put to rest once and for all.

"No," Sakaki answered softly. "Now that I think about it, guys only arouse my interest slightly. But I do know perfectly well that females don't interest me that way."

"Asexual then? It means to have no sexual orientation."

Sakaki hummed over that softly for a moment. "I guess, " she finally answered slowly, then continues casually, "if only just a little bit."

Kaorin closes her eyes and slowly nods. She feels disappointed, but at least not devastated. Sakaki was rejecting her for being female, not for her personality.

"I understand," she said softly, then looks toward the stairs. "I think I got what I needed."

"Before we go back to bed," Sakaki said, "I will tell you this. It's not that I don't feel happy, sad, anger, or afraid. If anything, I feel them just as intently as you do. It's just that I cannot express them very well. Can't, not won't. I also love cute things, especially kittens."

"But still," Kaorin countered gently, "it must be great that you cannot express emotions so intently. That means you won't panic and chicken out from not thinking clearly. I wish I were like that. Then I wouldn't have gotten all panicky around you back in high school and just come out and tell you how I felt about you back then."

That prompts a chuckle from Sakaki.

"And yet I tend to envy people who can express their emotions so freely," she answered with soft amusement. "They just let the rest of the world know loud and clear what they are like on the inside without a care for how others might think of them. Like Tomo, or even Yukari."

"They're not good examples," Kaorin quipped with closed eyes and a large sweat drop, before getting serious once again. "But I do see what you're getting at, Sakaki. We both think the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence."

"Now that this issue is settled once and for all, let's call it a night," Sakaki said as she rises.

"C-Can you please just call me, Kaori?"

"Okay, Kaori."

They walk up the stairs together.

"I guess cool's not all that it's cracked up to be," Kaorin said. "But tall, dark, and beautiful? That's still something that's hard to ignore."

They bid each other a goodnight as Sakaki stops at her room. Kaorin returns to Motoko's room and sees the kendoist lying underneath her own covers. Quietly, she makes her way over to her own futon and begins undressing then slips in underneath her covers.

"I take it the conversation you had with Sakaki-chan about your feelings for her went well?" Motoko suddenly said from within the darkness.

"Uh, yes it did," Kaorin answered after getting over the slight surprise of her suddenly speaking, as she had expected her to be sound asleep.

"You seem content. Either she can respond to your affections or you accept the fact that she can't because you're female."

"It's because I'm female. But . . . i-it's okay. It's all okay."

"I'm glad it worked out."

The next morning everyone is up and ready to have breakfast. Kaorin feels more relaxed now that everything between her and Sakaki is now laid to rest. She feels as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"So were you able to-" Tomo began snidely at Kaorin.

"She's straight with a touch of asexuality!" Kaorin cut her off with a yell.

"So with Sakaki and Motoko out of the picture, who're you gonna lust after now?"

"Tomo, I swear I'm gonna knock your head off!" Kaorin growled as she shakes her fist at her while making an angry face.

"I'll beat you to it first," Yomi said dourly as she glares at Tomo with dots for eyes.

After breakfast, everyone is now on their way to their destinations. That is when Shirai and Haitani, Keitaro's friends, show up. They are followed by Kentaro, Keitaro's supposed rival for Naru's affections. Truth be told, he is an all-around playboy.

"Whoa, it's those new girls we heard about!" Haitani said eagerly.

"Wow, some of them are beautiful!" Shirai added.

"Yes, indeed," Kentaro added with a smarmy look as he seemed to appear in front of them. "Especially that tall one with the very long hair."

Sakaki blushes upon hearing those words.

Haitani, Shirai, and Kentaro introduce themselves to the Azugirls.

"Hello there, pleased to meet you," Tomo announced grandly as she loops each arm around Haitani and Shirai's necks, making them wince with unease. "You guys are no doubt stunned by my oh-so-radiant beauty!"

"Er, yeah, sure," Shirai answered uncomfortably as he pries her arm from around his neck.

"Well hello there," Kentaro said slickly to Sakaki as he offers her a rose,"and aren't you a big beautiful lady."

Sakaki reacts with the usual gasp and blush as she leans away from him. Kaorin doesn't feel that burning sensation like she used to whenever anyone expressed interest in Sakaki. It went to show that she is now over her.

"Oh, I see that you like The Arrangers," Yomi said as she points at Shirai's shirt with the Kanji lettering on it. "They're one of my favorite bands."

"Would you like to go karaoking sometime?" Shirai asked.

"Her voice has been labeled a dangerous weapon," Tomo quipped.

"I don't see you being asked," Yomi grumbled.

"And I will be, watch me ask Haitani here and-" then notices him talking to Kagura, who is also blushing somewhat.

"You certainly are a nice curvy strong-looking babe," he said to her.

"She's really a she-male," Tomo said.

"Stop saying lies!" As Kagura angrily shakes her fist at her while making an angry face.

"But I'm not saying any lies when I say that Shirai and Yomi should make a cute couple since Yomi tends to have his bodybuild!"

"Now you're just being jealous!" Yomi shouted at her with an angry face.

On to Kentaro next as he is not having much luck trying to impress Sakaki, who is shivering while hunched over with her face buried into her hands.

"Oh, you're doing a really good job there, Casanova," Kaorin said dryly to Kentaro.

"Well, what do you suggest, you cute little angel?" He then said to her in his usual seductive slickness.

"Forget it, I don't go for your type," Kaorin stated with a frown as she crosses her arms.

"Yeah, she doesn't like wieners and meatballs!" Tomo called. "Only melons and clams!"

"I told you to shut up with the innuendos!" Kaorin screeched as she appears to Tomo in the manner of when Tomo spoiled the first picture of herself and Sakaki together back at graduation.

"Fine, fine, see if you get a girlfriend with that attitude," Tomo waved dismissively before turning her attention back to Shirai as she put her arm around him. "I'm telling you, don't let Yomi's appearance fool you. She actually has one hell of a weight problem. But you two should still make a wonderful couple for that."

"Shut the hell up before I beat the shit out of you!" Yomi shouted at her as she shakes a fist at her.

"And look, she even has a horrible temper too," Tomo continued to taunt. "All you have to do is mention the Crying Diet Girl le-"

But gets no further than that before Yomi lunges for her with a primal scream. Tomo proves to be faster, however, as she shoves Shirai into her. Together, they both fall to the ground with Shirai on top, causing them to blush at one another.

"Whohoo, Yomi, love at first sight!" Tomo whooped while pumping her fist into the air.

Yomi quickly pushes Shirai aside as he also moves aside of his own violition. She runs after Tomo, screaming obscenities along with promises of injuries once she gets her hands on her.

"And they're suppose to be friends?" Haitani said to Kagura while thumbing at them.

"Man, I'd hate to see what they'd be like if they were sworn enemies," Shirai said as he stands while watching them running around.

That is when the fighting duo immediately stops dead in their tracks as Haruka now stands before them. If there is one woman who can make them immediately stop, it's her. And all without raising her voice too.

"No more fighting," she said in her usual deadpan manner as she casually raps Tomo on the cranium lightly.

"Whoa, she's so cool!" Shirai said dreamily.

"She most certainly is!" Kaorin answered back in that same dreamy manner.

Tomo heard that and instantly bellows with laughter. "Whoa, did you hear that, Haruka!? Kaorin's got a crush on you now! She wants to-gaaahhh! Aargh, it hurts! It hurts!"

In a flash, Haruka had managed to pull Tomo's feet out from underneath her, sit on the ground, and put her into a figure-four leglock. All while still scowling with closed eyes.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Let me go!"

Haruka releases Tomo and they get up. Tomo rubs her now aching legs with a pained expression, complaining that it hurts.

"Serves you right, dumbass!" Yomi barked as she takes Tomo by her arm. "Now come on!"

After that incident, everyone quickly goes about their duties.

"Hey, Kaorin," Haruka said to her as she passes by, causing her to stop and regard her. "I'm not your type either."

Kaorin merely nods in a casual manner and says a soft okay.

The week seems to fly by. Kaorin thought that she might not be able to handle it. Now knowing that neither Sakaki nor Motoko can return such feelings for her. Yet, everything still went well.

Finally comes the day for her to leave.

"Well, it was nice staying here with all of you," Kaorin said to the gathered group.

"Or course, me, Naru, and Mutsumi will be seeing you around the grounds of Todai though," Keitaro said.

"Yes, that's true," Kaorin answered.

With another goodbye from Kaorin to the others in the form of a bow, she turns to get into a waiting taxi. It drives away with her in the backseat waving out the backwindow. Once out of sight, she turns around to face the front.

"Did you enjoy your time there?" the taxi driver said.

"Yes, I-wait a minute, you're voice-!"

"Hello, Kaorin," said Kimura as he turns to her. "I only just borrowed this car so that I can drive you to your destination."

Kaorin turns around and presses her face and hands against the back window with a terrified look. She screams as the car keeps driving away.


End file.
